Luis de la Fuente is not trying to hide Spain’s confidence.
Before Monday’s World Cup last-16 meeting with Portugal, the Spain coach has made a bold claim about the strength of his squad, insisting that his midfield is the best in world football.
It is a statement that inevitably invites comparison with the great Spanish side of 2010, when Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets helped deliver the country’s first World Cup title.
According to The Guardian, De la Fuente said: “In my opinion, and I say this with the greatest of respect to everyone, we have the best midfield in the world.”
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Spain coach embraces the comparison
De la Fuente was speaking at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, where Spain had trained before their knockout meeting with Portugal.
The question put to him was whether the current midfield could be compared with the one that defined Spain’s golden era. His answer was confident, but not dismissive of the past.
“We have two players per position who are the best players,” he said.
He then listed the depth available to him, including Rodrigo, Martín Zubimendi, Fabián Ruiz, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Mikel Merino, Álex Baena and Gavi, while also mentioning Fermín López, who is absent through injury.
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De la Fuente was careful to praise the 2010 group, but still made clear how highly he rates the players he has now.
“That was an extraordinary midfield as well, it’s true. Football changes, but I would put us at almost the same level,” he said.
A new Spanish generation
The comparison with 2010 carries weight because Spain’s midfield was once the standard by which every other national team was judged.
That team controlled matches through possession, patience and technical dominance. The current Spain side is different. It still wants the ball, but it plays with more pace, width and direct attacking threat.
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Pedri remains central to that balance. Rodri gives control and authority. Fabián has become a major tournament player. Olmo adds movement between the lines, while Zubimendi and Merino give De la Fuente depth few other coaches can match.
That depth is the point behind his confidence.
Spain are no longer built around one midfield trio. They are built around a group of players who can change shape and rhythm without losing the team’s identity.
Portugal provide the next test
The claim now has to survive a major test.
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According to FIFA, Spain and Portugal meet in Dallas in one of the standout ties of the World Cup last 16.
It is a match loaded with history, quality and pressure.
Portugal still have Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Rafael Leão and Bernardo Silva. Spain have Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Oyarzabal and one of the tournament’s most balanced squads.
The midfield battle may decide whether Spain can impose the kind of control De la Fuente is talking about.
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If Spain dominate the ball and dictate the pace, his words will look like justified confidence. If Portugal break their rhythm, the quote will follow him.
Spain arrive with momentum
Spain’s belief is not coming from nowhere.
According to The Guardian’s match report, Spain beat Austria 3-0 in the round of 32, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice and Pedro Porro adding the third.
It was Spain’s first World Cup knockout win since 2010 and one of their most convincing performances of the tournament.
De la Fuente’s side controlled possession, pressed aggressively and showed the variety that has made them one of the favourites. It was not a copy of the Xavi and Iniesta era, but it carried some of the same authority.
That is why the Portugal match feels so significant.
Spain have the players, the form and the confidence. Now they face a rival strong enough to reveal whether this midfield really belongs in the conversation with the very best.
Confidence or pressure
De la Fuente’s statement is both a compliment and a challenge.
Calling his midfield the best in the world may lift the players, but it also raises expectations. Spain’s recent history means every promising generation is compared with 2010, and every major tournament is measured against the standard set by that team.
The current group cannot win that debate with words.
They can only win it by controlling matches like this one.
Against Portugal, Spain’s midfield will be asked to do exactly what the great teams do: slow the game down when needed, accelerate it at the right moment and give their attackers the platform to decide the tie.
De la Fuente has made his view clear.
Now Spain have to prove him right.
