Luis de la Fuente, the coach of the Spanish national team, stressed that his team needs to deliver a better level if it wants to win the 2026 World Cup, while praising Cristiano Ronaldo at the same time, before facing Portugal in the round of 16.
Spain is preparing to face Portugal in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
De la Fuente said during the pre-match press conference: "What we have presented so far is not enough to win the World Cup. In every training session I tell the players: tomorrow we must be better."
He added: "Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in history, and I admire him greatly. He is an example of will and hard work, and of course it is better if he does not participate, but he will play, and we must be attentive to him at every moment."
Regarding Lamine Yamal, he said: "I see him more motivated every day. He loves taking responsibility and being under the spotlight, and what we are working on is for him to enter the match without any tension and with the utmost enthusiasm."
He spoke about Nuno Mendes, who succeeded in limiting Yamal's threat in the UEFA Nations League final, saying: "Nuno Mendes causes trouble for many players, just as Lamine has done the same with many defenders. Every match is different, and a player's superiority once does not mean he will always do it."
Regarding Nico Williams' readiness, he explained: "We will determine his participation according to how the match unfolds. He can play, but we will first think about what is best for the team and for him."
Regarding the match against Portugal, he said: "The encounter will be decided by attention to details. We and Portugal have similar characteristics, and we will try to impose our style and inflict damage on them."
De la Fuente refused to comment on FIFA's decision to suspend the enforcement of Folarin Balogun's penalty, contenting himself with saying: "I do not know the reasons that prompted FIFA to take this decision, and I cannot comment on it."
Spain won in the round of 32 against Austria by three goals to nil, while Portugal defeated Croatia by two goals to one.
