Spain
Spain beat France with the strength of the collective and the clarity of an idea — now they are the World Cup favourites
De la Fuente’s side managed to neutralise the boundless talent of Les Bleus with a game plan built around their identity.
Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy claims France have no French players, apparently unaware that almost all of Deschamps’ squad were born there
There is another thing the former Spanish prime minister appears not to realise: Spain’s national team also has similar cases to those of Les Bleus.
Lamine Yamal is already a star with huge commercial appeal, and some experts believe he has the potential to reach Messi’s level
With the timing of his rise and a natural swagger, millions of fans already see football’s next great star in him.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente’s fascination with Marcus Aurelius and the book shaping his thinking
Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations” offered a guide to mental discipline through metaphor and philosophy, long before modern ideas of mental coaching existed.
Between Spain and Belgium, the only real difference was the quality of the substitutes (and that is not good news for La Roja)
Not only Merino, who decided the game himself: De la Fuente’s substitutes maintained Spain’s level, unlike Garcia’s.
Spain’s game is so codified that it can strike at any moment, even when its talents are not at their best
De la Fuente’s La Roja reached the quarter-finals despite Portugal’s resistance, with a goal that reflected its own identity.
Palestinian football fans have a team to support at the World Cup: Spain, a purely political choice
Pedro Sánchez’s government’s stance has reinforced support already present, now far stronger.
Credit to Cape Verde, but Spain cannot do without Lamine Yamal
The countdown to the Barcelona prodigy’s return is underway, but matches like this suggest La Roja can no longer wait for him.
Spain’s internal shirt-number rule leaves Lamine Yamal without the 10
Seniority and caps accumulated, Yamal remains a few years behind Dani Olmo and his teammates.
When Mikel Oyarzabal plays for Spain, he becomes one of the most effective players in international football.
At Real Sociedad he is a symbol and a reliable forward. With Spain, however, he is like a superhero’s cape.