De la Fuente salutes ‘best team in world’ Spain after France upset

Luis de la Fuente. July 16, 2026 ARLINGTON, United States — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente saluted his players as the “best team in the world” on Tuesday after a stunning 2-0 World Cup semi-final upset of France. De la Fuente, who had repeatedly said Spain were the best side in the tournament, was left beaming with pride as La Roja outplayed France to reach Sunday’s World Cup final. It was another tactical masterpiece by the Spanish coach, who oversaw La Roja’s European Championship victory in 2024 and has now beaten France in three-straight competitive matches. “We started almost four years ago with an idea and we’ve been faithful to that idea and it’s brought us here,” de la Fuente said. Spain’s forward Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammates Lamine Yamal (left) and Aymeric Laporte during the 2026 World Cup football tournament semi-final match between France and Spain at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on July 14, 2026. (Photo: AFP) “Today we faced one of the best national teams in the world, but in front of them they had the best team in the world. That is different.” De la Fuente is now contemplating Spain’s first World Cup final appearance since 2010. “These players deserve everything, day after day they’ve showed their commitment, their solidarity, their generosity, their talent,” de la Fuente added of his team. “They make the difficult look easy.” International News, Latest News NOISY-SUR-ECOLE, France (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday pledged "zero tolerance" for arson after wildfires scorched thousands of ... KINGSTON, Jamaica--IMAGE Plus Consultants Limited earned the equivalent of two-thirds of its entire 2025/26 profit during the first three months of th... Entertainment, Latest News Last March, the Palmer brothers were among 12 reggae stalwarts honoured by the Brent City Council for their contribution to the music’s development in... International News, Latest News WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) -- President Donald Trump's administration moved Thursday to impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and j... International News, Latest News WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) -- US consumers slowed their spending in June while energy costs fell, government data showed Thursday, cooling retail... KINGSTON, Jamaica -- MOTORISTS travelling the full length of the Highway 2000 North-South Link could soon pay $5,220 for a round trip between Caymanas... KINGSTON, Jamaica — INNOVATIVE Energy Group Limited (IEG) is banking on approximately $2.3 billion in newly secured and restarted projects to sustain ... BY RENAE OSBOURNE Observer staff reporter osbourner@jamaicaobserver.com The Ministry of Education (MOE) has increased operational funding to all public schools by an average of 55 per cent this year, injecting an additiona... Facebook Twitter Instagram Polls Recent Posts Archives