La Roja have eliminated Les Bleus in their last two semi-final matchups and Luis de la Fuente predicts a third
Luis de la Fuente believes that squad depth can carry Spain past France and into the World Cup final, insisting every player in his group is capable of making the difference.
Spain secured a 2-1 victory over Belgium in the quarter-finals with goals from Fabian Ruiz and substitute Mikel Merino, and the head coach said the result underlined the strength of a squad he believes can compete with any team left in the tournament.
“Everybody on the pitch has a task and they do it very well,” De la Fuente said. “Pedri is a class player, one of the best in the world if not the best, but Fabian is also one of the best players in the world if not the best.
“It is unfair not to value those players who unfortunately – like Mikel Merino, like [Martin] Zubimendi, like Gavi, other players who haven’t gotten to play – they are as good as the ones who are playing. I insist, we have to make decisions that are always very elaborate, very analysed, very tailored to the opponent.”
His decision to start Ruiz ahead of Pedri attracted attention before kick-off, but the midfielder responded by scoring his first World Cup goal before Merino came off the bench to seal victory, repeating his decisive contribution against Portugal in the previous round.
Spain now face France in Tuesday’s semi-final in Dallas, and De la Fuente expects a contest between two of the tournament’s strongest sides.
“We are both teams that would be considered a candidate for the final,” he said. “France has exceptional potential, and so do we. We have very high expectations for the next game.”
Spain will draw confidence from their 2-1 victory over France in the semi-finals of Euro 2024, a result that paved the way for their continental title. France, however, arrive after another convincing display, having controlled their quarter-final against Morocco to reach a third successive World Cup semi-final.
“We are aware of the great potential the opponent in front of us has, but are also aware that the only team that has beaten them in the last two semi-finals they’ve played has been us,” said De la Fuente.
“I think the game is very open [to win]. It will require fresh, energetic players. It will require us to be the best version, it will require us to improve, but since we are there, we are going to give everything.”
