After leading Spain to their second World Cup title, head coach De la Fuente visited the Marca editorial office with the World Cup trophy, where he reminisced about the fantastic two months and his feelings after winning the championship.
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How did you adapt in the 96 hours after becoming the champion?
I felt excited and proud, and I felt the warmth and joy of a country united for a common goal. It was very fulfilling and satisfying.
This national team is loved by fans all over the world. Has this team reached its peak?
Absolutely not. I'm a very demanding person, highly competitive, and always believe there's room for improvement. This is our motto in every day's work and every training session: always do better than yesterday. This team has both young players and experienced veterans; they still have a long way to go. I don't think this national team has reached its peak yet; the best is yet to come.
What makes this team and this batch of players so special?
The team's talent is undeniable and widely recognized, but I want to emphasize character even more. This is a selfless and united team. I remember saying in a speech, after a match, that we were facing one of the best teams in the world, but our opponents are just as good. At the European Championship, people described this team as a "family," and that's true; it gave us unstoppable strength.
When it comes to character and humility, what kind of influence does Lamin Yamar have on this team?
As we've mentioned, we've faced Ronaldo's Portugal, Mbappe's France, and we'll be facing Messi's Argentina... but these opponents are playing against teams of 26. Just as Sparta had its 300 warriors, we are Spain's 26. Lamin is an experienced and outstanding player; he's matured a lot, given a great deal to the team, and understands how to prioritize the collective good over personal interests. He's an excellent player, very young, and still developing, but this experience will make him even better in the future. His recovery is within our plan; he hasn't played for a while, but his recovery has been exceptionally well done.
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Let's review Spain's path to the World Cup victory. Please share your thoughts on each match.
Cape Verde gave us a glimpse into the true nature of this tournament, giving us a sense of the difficulty and scope of the World Cup. Let me reiterate, the World Cup and the European Championship are completely different things.
Saudi Arabia reinforced our belief that when you realize the difficulty of a match, you must remain calm and confident. In the subsequent match against Uruguay, I want to commend the team's maturity; we weren't led by the nose by our opponents. We have resilience and footballing talent. In the Round of 32 against Austria, we took another step forward, consolidating the gains from our previous matches.
Against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, I predicted beforehand that this could be a premature final. Portugal is one of the favorites to win the title, and we must fight with everything we have. The quarter-final against Belgium felt like a trap. They are fast and aggressive, but even after conceding the first goal of the tournament, we knew how to stay calm.
In the semi-final, we faced one of the tournament's favorites, France, led by Mbappe. But I think the spectators in the stands were more nervous than we were. We played like a real team, controlling the game from start to finish. We were like a choir; every individual player performed exceptionally well, but the team's overall performance was even more outstanding, which allowed the players to improve.
The match against Argentina was of paramount importance; they are the defending champions, three-time World Cup winners, and it was Messi's farewell game… This was a match we had been dreaming of. This victory brought a perfect end to our perseverance in this tournament.
In conclusion, overall, the course of this World Cup has been in line with our plans and expectations.
If Spain is the best team in the world, then is De la Fuente the best coach in the world?
I always say we have the best players and the best team in the world, and I have the best staff in the world—the best people in the world. I want to be a good person, someone who genuinely enjoys their work and whose efforts are recognized. But most importantly, this job ignites my passion, and I should be the one who feels honored.
During the award ceremony, you spoke with Infantino. What did he say?
I've always said that private conversations shouldn't be made public, but this time I felt it was necessary to speak out. Why? Because he affirmed the value of our group of players. I met Infantino at the Olympics, when we won the silver medal. The players behaved exceptionally well; they didn't remove their medals but instead enjoyed the final celebration. After the ceremony, Infantino came over to me and said, "Coach, your players are role models for everyone." Many of those players appeared in this final.
A few days ago, he reminded me, "What I told you during the Olympics still applies today. They are role models in every aspect: team spirit, camaraderie, selfless dedication, self-sacrifice, and football talent." This makes me very proud; more than the purely competitive aspects, this is what makes me most proud.
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You and Scaloni have a good relationship. What do you think of his comments after the match to defuse the controversy and admit that Spain performed better?
We are very good friends, with a very close relationship, and he is a gentleman. I know everyone was excited right after the game, and there were indeed some unpleasant moments, which I believe he didn't like either. I think that's the great thing about the goal of sports—competition is limited to the field, where everyone fights for their own cause, but once the game is over and everyone returns to their normal lives, you realize that nothing is more important than a genuine friendship.
How many times have you dreamed of lifting the World Cup trophy?
I dreamt about it, I dreamt about it… it’s hard to say. I never dreamed I could coach a senior national team. When I was coaching at various youth levels, I was just doing my job step by step, and I was happy then. I’m always happy, no matter where I am. I never thought about moving up. Right now, everyone is focused on this World Cup, but I’m already thinking about the matches in September.
At what moment did you feel that you could win the championship?
In the final, we saw that the game was completely under our control, and our advantage was obvious. We just lacked goals, and several were disallowed, especially Nico Williams's goal, which was particularly unfair; otherwise, the score difference could have been even greater. Everything wasn't settled until the final whistle, because Argentina also had their chances. We know this all too well; that's football—your heart will be on the edge of your seat until the very last moment. But now the trophy is in our hands.
Finally, what would you like to say to the millions of Spanish fans?
Nothing more than gratitude; we feel the entire nation has been with us. The support and encouragement of the fans were key to this team's achievement. This is a success for the whole country, a testament to the unity, perseverance, and shared goal of the entire nation. Therefore, I want to say again: unity makes us stronger. Let us draw strength from this and strive for progress every day, and for our nation as well.
