De la Fuente: France Faced the Best Team in the World, Referee Was Lenient

Spain's national team coach Luis de la Fuente expressed his immense happiness after his side's 2-0 victory over France, securing their place in the 2026 World Cup final, affirming that this moment represents a historic milestone in his coaching career.

Luis de la Fuente spoke: "This feeling is very close to absolute happiness. I feel a great pride for these wonderful players, we have taken an extra step and I am deeply moved. We have sporting joy and pride in an amazing group. We played a great match against a great team and we managed to clearly reduce their danger. Who would have told me 13 years ago that I would be in a World Cup final?".

Reflecting on his celebration after the final whistle, he explained: "Perhaps it was a kind of liberation, reaching the World Cup final is a huge responsibility and only a few achieve it. When we started this project four years ago, we were faithful to our idea, and this idea brought us here."

He praised the atmosphere within the Spanish national team, saying: "I see a happy dressing room, and I see an entire country standing behind the team. We have regained the spirit of 2010, and what sets this group apart is that the players who did not participate in the match continued to train after it ended, which reflects the mentality of the team."

Regarding the victory over France, De la Fuente said: "We knew we were facing one of the best teams in the world, but they were up against the best team in the world, and that's a different matter. Our players possess commitment, solidarity, and talent, making difficult things look easy. They have great quality and a wonderful personality both on and off the pitch."

The Spanish coach addressed the referee's performance, stating: "The referee was very lenient with many strong tackles. We experienced a similar and uncomfortable situation against Uruguay, and it wasn't fair."

In closing his remarks, he sent a message to the Spanish fans saying: "I thank everyone for their messages of support and encouragement. It is a great source of pride to be Spanish and to represent this country in the World Cup final."