Luis de la Fuente has spent over a decade building toward this moment, and with Spain entering the 2026 World Cup as favourites, he is not shying away from the label. The man who steered the side to a dominant EURO 2024 title views the tag as earned recognition rather than unwanted pressure.
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Speaking with Reuters before the tournament, De la Fuente framed the favourites status as fuel rather than a ceiling. “We’re delighted that’s the case,” he said. “It helps us approach this World Cup with great enthusiasm, with the enthusiasm of those who want to achieve something significant, of those who are insatiable in their competitive spirit and who want to keep improving.”
He is clear-eyed about what the label actually guarantees.
“If we think that being favourites guarantees anything, we’re on the wrong track… it guarantees nothing! There are eight or 10 teams where you say, ‘They’re absolutely top-class teams’. As good as ours? Of course! Do we feel as strong as them at this point? Of course we do! But that guarantees nothing.”
Injury Update on Yamal, Williams and Merino
Spain open Group H against World Cup debutants Cape Verde on June 15th. Injury concerns surrounding Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Mikel Merino have been a talking point in the build-up, though De la Fuente struck a measured tone on their availability.
Yamal and Williams both sustained hamstring injuries in mid-April. Merino has been out since January following surgery on his right foot to address a stress fracture.
“I believe they will all be available for the first match. That doesn’t mean they’ll play, though. We might decide to give them less playing time in that first match, or none at all.”
A Tournament That Will Test Bodies
The 2026 World Cup is the first edition to feature 48 nations, spread across three host countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. For De la Fuente, that scale introduces logistical and physical demands that no squad can afford to ignore.
“It’s going to be a very unique tournament, with high demands and little time for recovery,” he said. “A lot of fatigue, long journeys, intense heat, varying temperatures, humidity, time zones and so on. Fundamentally, it’s going to take its toll physically.”
His response is a fluid rotation policy. Spain‘s 26-man squad will be treated as a collective pool rather than a tiered hierarchy, with selection shaped by form and condition rather than reputation.
“We will rotate as we see fit at any given moment, depending, of course, on the needs and the actual condition of each player. They all arrive in good shape and ready to start, if not the first match, then the second. But my biggest concern right now is that no injuries should occur.”
Responsibility Without Weight
Spain‘s EURO 2024 success set a standard, not just in results but in style. The squad’s attacking, direct football raised the bar for what fans and pundits expect at this World Cup. De la Fuente accepts that weight without letting it slow the side down.
“We take it all in our stride, and that’s one of our strengths. We’ve always been aware of our potential but, at the same time, we realise that every match presents different challenges and that, alongside the responsibility we have for what we represent — which is crystal clear to us — there’s another guiding principle: we go out there to enjoy ourselves, to do what we love. We’re lucky to be able to make a living from football.”
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