‘The Star That Unites Us’: Luis de la Fuente & Vicente del Bosque

With the podcast series ‘The Star That Unites Us’, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) offers supporters of the Spanish National Team exclusive content in which some of the most iconic figures from the side that captivated the world in 2010 share stories, reflections and experiences alongside leading members of the current Spain team — reigning European champions — on the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2026. In the first episode of the series, Luis de la Fuente and Vicente del Bosque sit down face to face.

With less than three weeks remaining before the start of football’s greatest spectacle, the Spanish National Team is preparing for a historic World Cup which, for the first time, will feature 48 national teams, 104 matches and 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Luis de la Fuente’s side arrives at the tournament full of confidence and excitement, currently enjoying an extraordinary unbeaten run of 31 official matches. Since the Riojan coach took charge of the senior national team in December 2022, Spain has won the 2023 UEFA Nations League and UEFA EURO 2024, while also reaching the 2025 Nations League final.

Sixteen years after Vicente del Bosque’s Spain side reached the summit at Soccer City in Johannesburg to secure the first star above the Spanish crest, Luis de la Fuente’s team is aiming to replicate the remarkable achievements of a generation of players who wrote their names into football history.

Four World Cup cycles have passed since South Africa 2010, yet the parallels between the two tournaments from Spain’s perspective remain impossible to ignore — and with them, the dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup once again.

Luis de la Fuente and Vicente del Bosque, the two most successful coaches in the history of the Spanish National Team, sit down together to discuss their experiences leading La Roja, the key elements in preparing for major international tournaments, and their experiences managing dressing rooms filled with world-class talent.

Del Bosque, a major influence on the current Spain head coach, also shares stories from the 2010 FIFA World Cup and reflects on the positive atmosphere that defined that championship-winning squad. Along similar lines, De la Fuente highlights the strong spirit and unity he sees within his current group of players, something he considers essential in achieving success.

As Spain prepares to announce the squad that will represent the nation at the FIFA World Cup, which begins on 11 June at the Estadio Azteca, Luis de la Fuente and Vicente del Bosque discuss the key factors involved in selecting a tournament squad.

Ultimately, it is a relaxed, respectful and deeply football-focused conversation built around one central theme: ‘The Star That Unites Us’.