New York, July 18 (IANS) Spain coach Luis de la Fuente says the only thing that makes him nervous about the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina is that his team will have to fly in a helicopter.The comment says a lot about the calm radiated by the 65-year-old, who spent most of his playing career at Athletic Bilbao and most of his coaching career with youth teams, with five seasons in the Athletic Bilbao youth system and joining the Spanish Football Federation in 2013, with just 11 games…
Latest Fabian Ruiz News & Updates
Los Angeles, July 11 (IANS) Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia rued his side’s misfortune after their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign ended with a heartbreaking 1-2 quarterfinal defeat to Spain, saying ‘the stars weren’t aligned’ for them on a night when they lost their goalkeeper and captain in the middle of the match due to injuries.Belgium were closing in on extra time before substitute Mikel Merino struck in the 88th minute to send Spain into their first World Cup semifinal since 2010.“Unfort…
Los Angeles, July 11 (IANS) Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised the depth, unity and selflessness of his squad after two of his key selection decisions proved decisive in a 2-1 victory over Belgium that sent the European champions into the FIFA World Cup semi-finals on Friday.Fabian Ruiz, who was handed a surprise start in place of Pedri, broke the deadlock before second-half substitute Mikel Merino came off the bench and fired home the winner just two minutes after his introduction after Belg…
Los Angeles, July 11 (IANS) Substitute Mikel Merino scored a late winner for the second consecutive match as Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 here on Friday to book its first FIFA World Cup semifinal appearance since 2010, setting up a last-four clash against France in Dallas next Tuesday.Merino had also come off the bench to score the winner in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16, while the Red Devils cruised past co-host the United States 4-1 to reach the quarterfinals, reported Xin…
New York, July 9 (IANS) Spain and Belgium meet in an all-European World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday, with Belgium facing the daunting task of becoming the first team to score against Spain in the tournament.Spain has yet to concede a goal at the World Cup, with goalkeeper Unai Simón extending his shutout streak in World Cup finals to 609 minutes, a run dating back to the group stage of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.Luis de la Fuente is expected to retain his preferred back four of Marc Cucurell…
New York, July 1 (IANS) Spain will be without two key players for their World Cup Round-of-32 match against Austria in Los Angeles on Thursday, but Lamine Yamal looks likely to play an increasingly important role for coach Luis de la Fuente.Spain’s bruising final group match against Uruguay on Friday left Nico Williams nursing a groin injury after a heavy challenge from Nicolas de la Cruz, while Yeremy Pino suffered a shoulder injury following another bad tackle.Although neither injury is as ser…
Puebla, June 7 (IANS) Spain’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup enter a crucial phase as Luis de la Fuente’s side travel to Mexico for their final warm-up match against Peru on Monday before opening their campaign against Cabo Verde on June 15. The Spanish squad left for Puebla on Sunday after arriving at their World Cup base in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Friday. The match presents an additional challenge, with Puebla located around 2,100 metres above sea level, leaving Spain little time to ac…
Madrid, June 3 (IANS) Spain will play the first of their two warm-up matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday night when they face Iraq at Deportivo La Coruna’s Riazor Stadium.The friendly, Spain’s only match on home soil before the squad flies to Mexico to meet Peru on June 9 in the second preparatory match, will give coach Luis de la Fuente a chance to hand minutes to most of his players.However, with Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, and Victor Munoz still working their way back from muscle…
Madrid, May 25 (IANS) Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Monday he had picked a “well-balanced” and “well-considered” 26-man squad for the World Cup, with his selections showing both loyalty to trusted players and a willingness to take calculated risks.One of the unluckiest players to miss out is Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro, who has been replaced by Barcelona’s Joan Garcia. Remiro has been part of De la Fuente’s squads for the past three years and has been valued as a positive presence …