Luis de la Fuente: "We'll Fight for This World Cup"

On receiving congratulations from His Majesty King Felipe VI

"It is one of the greatest honours for us that His Majesty the King calls us, checks in on us and continually encourages us. To be responsible for bringing joy to a country that has taken to the streets in support of this exceptional generation of players is something very special. It fills us with enormous pride to see the whole country united behind a common cause. But the hardest step is still to come."

On the team's remarkable form

"This team never stops surprising me with what it's capable of. I always say our potential for improvement is limitless, and the players prove it match after match. It's all built on talent, hard work, effort, sacrifice and the desire to keep improving. Nothing comes for free."

A message to the Spanish people

"I'd like to thank everyone because we truly feel their support. We see a country proudly standing behind its national team, and we're incredibly proud to see Spain so happy. We ask everyone to keep supporting us and pushing us on because we'll need that backing even more for what's still to come."

The keys to beating France

"Today we faced one of the best national teams in the world—but they were up against the best team in the world. That's the best way to neutralise any opponent's strengths. Spain has extraordinary footballing talent, and that's a credit to Spanish football as a whole. But we're not satisfied with reaching the final—we're going to fight to win this World Cup."

His message before kick-off

"We never doubted that, if we stayed true to ourselves, we could cause France a lot of problems. We know France very well and understand the quality they possess, but we also knew how to counter it. The players executed the game plan brilliantly. All the credit belongs to them."

On a potential final opponent

"Either semi-final could easily have been the final. The four best national teams in the world—and in the FIFA World Ranking—were all here. Believe me, we have no preference. England and Argentina each have their own strengths, and we'll welcome either opponent."

Watching "his" generation grow

"It's been incredibly emotional. With some of these players we've reflected on the journey we've shared since 2015, and now, eleven years later, we're preparing to play in a World Cup final. It makes me very proud to have reached this point with a group of players with whom I share much more than just football."

On Dani Olmo

"He's a brilliant footballer—exceptional in his position. He's also very versatile, but I think his development has gone hand in hand with the team's progress. The team always comes first, and that's something all of these players understand. Dani is a footballing genius."