Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente addressed the media after the 2-3 defeat against England at the Metropolitano Stadium. It was the national team’s final fixture of the year and brought the UEFA Nations League group stage to a close.

The unbeaten run comes to an end: “I take plenty of positives from this. It highlights just how difficult it is to reach the level we have achieved. We know how to win and we know how to lose. We came up against an opponent who overwhelmed us and were superior during the first 30 minutes. I had the feeling we were going to turn the scoreline around. The best is still to come.”

🎙️ “This result underlines how difficult it is to achieve the records we have set, especially while winning the Nations League, the European Championship and the World Cup along the way.” ➡️ “I am convinced that the best is yet to come.” 🗣️ Luis de la Fuente, Spain head coach. #VamosEspaña | #NationsLeague https://t.co/voDJb1RTrg

— Spain Men’s National Football Team (@SEFutbol) 15 November 2026

Applause for the players: “I can only express my gratitude to this team. We had almost forgotten what defeat felt like, but it is no bad thing to be reminded of how difficult it is to achieve what we have. I want to tell them how proud I am to be the head coach of this team. We will be in the quarter-finals in March. We have finished second in the group, and we want to win the Nations League.”

🎙️ “This result underlines how difficult it is to achieve the records we have set, especially while winning the Nations League, the European Championship and the World Cup along the way.” ➡️ “I am convinced that the best is yet to come.” 🗣️ Luis de la Fuente, Spain head coach. #VamosEspaña | #NationsLeague https://t.co/voDJb1RTrg

— Spain Men’s National Football Team (@SEFutbol) 15 November 2026

The crowd: “The atmosphere we experienced at the Metropolitano was sensational, fantastic. We were up against an opponent who showed us in the first half-hour just how good they are. We were not at our sharpest because our opponents were superior in the opening stages.”

The players: “When you are not used to losing, it hits you hard. But let’s look at the bigger picture... We have gone three years without losing while winning titles. I am proud of my players. The only disappointment is that there is no competition now and we have to wait until March.”

The defeat: “We have maintained a very high level. We struggled against Czechia but got the job done, and today we had chances to come back... We cannot assume that the trend is going to change. I am very optimistic and believe a new challenge now awaits us. In March, we have to focus on winning again.”

England: “They have tremendous energy and outstanding physical strength. They are a great team with enormous footballing potential. This could have been a World Cup or European Championship final... You have to be at your very best, otherwise your opponents can overwhelm you. They were superior for much of the match, but we had chances to turn the scoreline around.”

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