De la Fuente: ‘We have the best midfield in the world’ ahead of Portugal clash

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has declared his side possess “the best midfield in the world” as his team prepare for a last-16 World Cup meeting with Portugal. Speaking to the Guardian in Dallas, De la Fuente answered a series of reader questions covering everything from Lamine Yamal’s development to memories of Spain’s 2010 triumph.

The Spain boss was speaking at the Cotton Bowl, where his squad had just finished training ahead of the knockout tie. According to the Guardian, the interview took place the morning after Cape Verde’s performance against Argentina had captured the imagination of the tournament.

Cape Verde praise and pre-tournament predictions

Asked whether Spain’s opening group game should now be viewed differently given how impressive Cape Verde have looked, De la Fuente insisted he was not surprised. He told the Guardian he had predicted before the World Cup that this would be a “historic” tournament in which lesser-known nations would prove their worth on the biggest stage.

“I said that what they do, they do very well. And it’s true,” De la Fuente said of Cape Verde, according to the Guardian, adding that he prefers to offer opinions only when he has enough information to back them up.

Advice for Lamine Yamal ahead of facing Nuno Mendes

A reader question referenced comments from Yamal in which the forward named Portugal’s Nuno Mendes as the opponent he fears most. De la Fuente noted that Yamal has already faced Mendes on four occasions between club and country, including in the 2025 Nations League final, which Spain lost to Portugal on penalties.

The Spain coach told the Guardian that Yamal has matured significantly since that defeat. “Lamine is not the player he was a year ago; he’s another player, more mature, more assured, he reads the games better, logically,” De la Fuente said. His message to the young forward was simple: “Be yourself, enjoy football, with the responsibility that comes with it, the responsibility that you take on, but be yourself.”

Iniesta’s 2010 goal and Borja Iglesias’s role

Asked for his most powerful World Cup memory, De la Fuente pointed straight to Andrés Iniesta’s winning goal in the 2010 final. He recalled watching Spain matches as a family event at his parents’ home in Haro, La Rioja, describing it as gatherings where “my parents would watch, my brothers and sisters, people would come round to watch.”

On the subject of squad rotation, De la Fuente addressed forward Borja Iglesias’s role within the group, according to the Guardian. He revealed he had been on the verge of bringing on Iglesias alongside Martín Zubimendi during the group game against Austria before events on the pitch forced him to make a different substitution instead.

Spain now turn their attention fully to Portugal, with De la Fuente’s confidence in his midfield unit set to be tested against a side that has already got the better of his team once this cycle, in that 2025 Nations League final on penalties.

Read more: France beat ‘disgraceful’ Paraguay as Tuchel backs FIFA amid racism storm