ARLINGTON, Texas — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his team is “feeling unbeatable” after reaching the World Cup final with a 2-0 win over France.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s first-half penalty and a second goal from Pedro Perro after half-time earned Spain a well-deserved victory in their semifinal at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday.
And afterwards, De la Fuente issued a warning to their opponents in the final — either Argentina or England — by insisting his players will line up in New York on Sunday full of confidence after such a dominant display against the pre-tournament favourites.
“We’re feeling unbeatable,” De La Fuente told a news conference.
“They (France) faced the best team in the world. We have that edge. These players deserve everything because day after day, they demonstrate their commitment, their generosity, their solidarity, and their talent.
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“It is wonderful to watch them play. Today was a spectacle. What seems difficult, this team makes it look easy.”
The victory extends Spain’s unbeaten run to 37 matches, tying the record set by a European nation in men’s international football (Italy, 2018-21).
Spain got their World Cup campaign off to an underwhelming start with a shock goalless draw with Cape Verde in their opening group game.
But in the knockout rounds, they’ve beaten Portugal, Belgium and France while conceding just one goal and De La Fuente said his team have found their best level at the perfect time.
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“We knew we had to improve little by little,” he said.
“We would have loved to win the first game but it’s a process. It was planned for us to reach the key moments in the best shape possible. We are in great shape and in terms of our football level we have reached our peak.”
Safely into their second World Cup final, De La Fuente and his players can watch the second semifinal between Argentina and England in Atlanta on Wednesday as they wait to discover their next opponent.
Spain versus Argentina would see the reigning European champions face off against the current World champions, while Spain against England would be a repeat of the Euro 2024 final in Germany two years ago.
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“Right now we don’t prefer one or the other,” said De La Fuente.
‘They have different characteristics. I would be excited to face Argentina because I’m a close friend of Lionel Scaloni but I really like England as well. We welcome either of them with open arms.”
Tuesday’s win marked the third summer in a row that Spain beat France in a tournament semifinal match. Lamine Yamal scored in a 2-1 win in the 2024 European Championship semifinals just days before his 17th birthday, and La Roja won 5-4 in Nations League play last year.
