Luis de la Fuente believes that the mentality of Spain’s 2010 World Cup win has returned to the team.
Since taking over as Spain’s head coach two years ago, de la Fuente has had one goal in mind: to restore the mentality of the team that won the 2010 World Cup. He believes that goal has been achieved. After winning the European Championship this year, the 63-year-old coach is hopeful for even greater success in the 2026 World Cup.
Spain’s only World Cup trophy came in 2010, when they triumphed in South Africa. Before and after that, they also won the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.
However, there was a long period where Spain couldn’t taste success. Their performance also wasn’t as impressive. Since de la Fuente took charge in December 2022, the team began to transform. In the 2022-23 season, they won the UEFA Nations League, and in June-July this year, they became unbeaten champions of the Euros held in Germany.
It’s not just the titles, though. Under de la Fuente’s leadership, Spain’s style of play has also changed. The traditional “tiki-taka” strategy, which focused on maintaining possession and making short passes to outplay opponents, has evolved. Now, the team plays with more pace and is more direct in attack.
In an interview with Spanish media outlet AS, de la Fuente shared his optimism for the 2026 World Cup. He believes the team will be even better by then, as the tournament will be held jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“There isn’t much time left (for the 2026 World Cup), because 18 months will fly by. But we are ready, and honestly, I’m very optimistic. I know this group of players, and they’re not satisfied, they want to win. I don’t know how far we’ll go (in the World Cup), but in these 18 months, we’ll be a better team than we are now. There will be new players, and those who are here will become more mature. For the World Cup in the US, Mexico, and Canada, we’ll be a better team than we are now.”
“Since taking over the national team, my goal has been to restore the mentality of the 2010 World Cup, and I think we’ve achieved that, more or less. We have a championship team, one that competes and wins. For those of us who enjoyed Spain’s winning cycle from 2008 to 2010, there has always been a hope of regaining that pride. I believe we began to feel that again this summer.”
