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Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has declared his side the best national team in the world after guiding La Roja to a commanding 2-0 victory over France to secure a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
The Spanish manager praised his players for remaining committed to the football philosophy they adopted nearly four years ago, insisting their discipline, unity and belief have been the driving force behind their remarkable rise to another major final.
Spain produced a composed and dominant performance at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro ending France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final.
Speaking after the victory, De la Fuente said the result vindicated the long-term vision he and his coaching staff had pursued since taking charge of the national team.
“We started almost four years ago with an idea and we’ve been faithful to that idea and it’s brought us here,” De la Fuente said.
The Spanish coach, who also guided La Roja to the UEFA European Championship title in 2024, said defeating a team of France’s quality further reinforced his belief that Spain currently set the benchmark in international football.
“Today we faced one of the best national teams in the world, but in front of them they had the best team in the world. That is different,” he added.
Tuesday’s triumph also extended De la Fuente’s impressive record against France, with Spain now winning three consecutive competitive meetings under his leadership.
The victory sends Spain into their first FIFA World Cup final since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010, leaving them one win away from claiming a second world title.
De la Fuente reserved special praise for his players, describing them as a united group whose commitment and selflessness have been central to Spain’s success throughout the tournament.
“These players deserve everything day after day they’ve showed their commitment, their solidarity, their generosity, their talent,” the Spain coach said. “They make the difficult look easy.”
Spain will now turn their attention to Sunday’s World Cup final, where they will face either England or Argentina as they seek to cap an outstanding tournament with another major international trophy.
