De la Fuente issues a challenge to France: 'Only we can do this'

The Spain national team reached the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup after defeating Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals. After the match, head coach Luis de la Fuente shared his thoughts on his team's character, the winning goal scorer Mikel Merino, and the upcoming clash against France.

Although the Spanish coach expressed respect for the opponent, he did not hide his high confidence in his team's chances ahead of the semifinal.

«We could have won by a larger margin»

The match against Belgium was not easy for Spain. Nevertheless, de la Fuente emphasized that his team fully deserved the victory.

«This shows the character of our team in any situation. I am proud to lead a team that strives to grow and become even stronger once again,» said the coach.

In his opinion, Spain created enough chances during the match to win by a larger scoreline.

«We did more than enough to win by a bigger margin. But one must also understand how difficult it is to win,» he added.

Merino became the decisive figure again

Mikel Merino scored the goal that brought victory to Spain. De la Fuente highlighted the midfielder's versatility and his role in the team's system.

«He has so many qualities. Mikel could play for any national team or club. He fits perfectly into our team and our game system,» the coach said.

He also noted that whenever Merino is needed, the player is always ready to help the team.

Next opponent — France

Spain will face the France national team in the semifinals. De la Fuente acknowledged the strength of the opponent ahead of this match, but stated that his team would give their all for the win.

«We will work hard to beat France. They will have the same mentality,» said the Spanish coach.

After that, he made his most resonant statement ahead of the semifinal:

«We are the only team in the world that can beat France twice in a row.»

A major clash on the road to the final

The semifinal between Spain and France is expected to be one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.

On one side, Spain relies on ball possession and technical football, while on the other, France brings speed and individual skill to the pitch. Whether de la Fuente's bold statement will be proven in practice — the decisive match will show.