Spain 2026 World Cup De La Fuentes Project Favourites

Luis de la Fuente bears little resemblance, in temperament, to Jose Mourinho. Spain’s head coach possesses none of the Portuguese’s rodomontade. Such is his commitment to humility that when Deportivo Alaves sacked him three months into the job, midfielder Carlos Indiano suggested it was partly because de la Fuente was too nice.

He has had one exception. When the RFEF appointed him as Luis Enrique’s successor after Spain’s Round of 16 exit at the 2022 World Cup, the reaction was sceptical. Enrique had arrived with a Champions League title. Julen Lopetegui had lifted the Europa League. De la Fuente had youth team trophies and an unassuming manner. Questions at his presentation revolved around inexperience. He allowed himself, briefly, to shed the garb of modesty: “With all my humility and honesty, if there is someone who knows what the future of Spanish football is, it is me.”

Nearly four years on, those words read less like bravado and more like prophecy. Spain have lost only twice in 42 games under de la Fuente, their last competitive defeat over three years ago. His win percentage is 73.81. He has won the Euros and the Nations League. The verdict is difficult to dispute.

Process has become an almost sacred word in Spanish coaching circles. When de la Fuente guided Spain to the 2019 Under-21 European Championship, he was more relieved at a three-year project bearing fruit than overwhelmed by the trophy. At the heart of his process lies one principle: continuity.

Goalkeeper Unai Simon is the clearest example. No player has made more appearances for Spain under de la Fuente than Simon, who was part of the 2015 Under-19 Euros-winning squad under the same manager. Neither David Raya’s successive Premier League Golden Gloves nor Joan Garcia’s Zamora Trophy have seriously threatened his place. Simon is one piece of a much larger puzzle. Rodri and Mikel Merino were his teammates in that Under-19 squad. Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo, Pedri and Mikel Oyarzabal played in the Under-21 Euros side de la Fuente took to the title.

Sixteen of the 25 players Spain have brought to America have been playing for de la Fuente since their youth days. A further six received their senior debuts under him. Had it not been working, critics would be within their rights to allege favouritism. It has been working. Continuity has proven to be the foundation of Spain’s resurgence.

They have scored 125 goals under de la Fuente, averaging almost three per game. Much of that productivity comes from an unusual trio: Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal and Nico Williams. Yamal, the youngest player to win the Euros, will be the first name any neutral reaches for. When they look further, they find Williams, who would be the headline act in most other teams. Between two flamboyant wingers sits the industrious Oyarzabal, who rarely courts attention. His record speaks for him: 25 goals in 53 appearances, a strike rate superior to both Fernando Torres and David Silva.

Spain is not solely about goals. They have kept 19 clean sheets under de la Fuente, nearly one every other game. Shielding the defence are Rodri, Spain’s first Ballon d’Or winner since 1960, and Fabian Ruiz, a back-to-back Champions League winner. During qualification, Spain scored 21 goals and conceded only two — a defensive record surpassed only by England’s tally of zero.

Finding flaws in this Spanish team is the needle-and-haystack exercise of world football.

History, though, offers a note of caution that deserves more than a footnote. Of the 16 occasions where a World Cup has followed a European Championship by two years, only two nations have managed to win both tournaments. Spain would be the third. No team in the modern era has sustained this kind of dominance across back-to-back major tournaments without something — an injury, an upset, a moment of complacency — intervening.

Yamal and Williams both missed the friendlies against Iraq and Peru and are unlikely to feature in the opener against Cape Verde on Monday. The depth will be tested before the stars return.

At his appointment, de la Fuente was asked whether he would reinstate Sergio Ramos and other Real Madrid players overlooked by Enrique. His reply: “I don’t look at identity cards.”

He has given Spain a fresh identity instead, and fans know what is on the cards.