Luis de la Fuente: "Tomorrow is a final"
Spain will take on Portugal this Monday at Dallas Stadium (9:00 p.m. CEST) with a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals at stake as the national team continues its pursuit of a second world title. On the eve of the match, Luis de la Fuente faced the media in a packed press conference.
On Portugal
"Portugal have an outstanding team. When we don't have the ball, we'll have to be aware of what they can do, but our aim is to make them worry about us by controlling possession."
On Cristiano Ronaldo
"I've always been a great admirer of him. He constantly wants to be the best and improve every single day. He's the type of player you have to keep an eye on at all times because, with his talent, he can decide a match."
A high-level encounter
"Tomorrow is a final. We must continue improving—there is always room for improvement—but Portugal will demand that we perform even better than we have so far."
The quality of both squads
"I believe my players are the best in the world, although I imagine Roberto Martínez feels exactly the same about his team. Two very strong sides with many similarities in the way they play are facing each other. With so many outstanding footballers on the pitch, the match will be decided by the smallest details."
On Lamine Yamal
"I see him becoming more motivated every day. I know he loves matches like this, enjoys the spotlight and taking responsibility. He's in an exceptional moment of inspiration, and that's a huge source of confidence for any coach."
On the 2025 UEFA Nations League final
"We've watched that match several times to learn more about our opponents. We know Portugal have many strengths, but they also have weaknesses—every team does. This will be a different match, and we want to remain faithful to our playing philosophy."
On Nico Williams
"The match itself will determine whether he gets minutes or not. We'll decide what's best for both the team and for him. The important thing is that he completed today's training session with the group, but he's coming back from an injury and a short period of inactivity, so everything will depend on how the game develops."
On the squad's condition
"I'm approaching this match with calmness and confidence. My focus is on every player and on providing them with as much information as possible ahead of tomorrow. We can feel that all of Spain is behind this team, and that gives us tremendous energy."
A message to Spain's supporters
"We've received thousands of messages from people back home, and we're fully aware of the passion with which every step of this team's journey is being followed. We're proud of our supporters, and we ask them to keep cheering us on. They are our driving force."
