Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has revealed that he told his players they had an appointment with history before they defeated Argentina 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final to win their second title, www.aclsports.com reports.
Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute of extra time to secure Spain’s second World Cup title after their 2010 triumph.
Speaking after the match, De la Fuente thanked his players and staff as he reflected on the emotions of winning the World Cup.
“First of all, I would like to thank the entire staff and everyone who has worked with us. The players are the true protagonists, but there are many other people behind them. We feel pride, satisfaction and recognition for these great people and great footballers. This is a group of people who will go down in history.”
The Spain coach also revealed the message he gave his players before the final, urging them to embrace the opportunity to make history while explaining how they planned to deal with Argentina’s strengths.
“Apart from the technical talks and the analysis of the opponent, we also told the players: ‘Gentlemen, we have an appointment with history. We want to be there first.’ We wanted to reduce their strengths and maximise our own. If it hadn’t been for their goalkeeper, perhaps we would have won by a bigger margin.”
The 65-year-old said he never imagined that his journey through Spain’s youth categories would eventually lead to winning the World Cup, but credited those years with helping to build the team.
“No, I never imagined anything like this. I always wanted to enjoy the moments we were experiencing. We would not have achieved anything without the journey we have taken with these players and the knowledge we gained of the talent and incredible Spanish footballers and the way they compete. That journey has brought us all the way here. But I insist, it is not just about this World Cup. It goes back several years.”
De la Fuente also backed his captain Rodri to win the next Ballon d’Or, describing the midfielder as “the best player in the world.”
“We have been saying for a very long time that he is the best player in the world. He still has so much of his career ahead of him. I hope that in the future, when players go through difficult moments, we can be more patient and not try to undermine their journey. Rodri can win the next Ballon d’Or and so can many more of our players.”
De la Fuente also expressed his happiness for Torres, who became only the second substitute to score the winning goal in a World Cup final, after Germany’s Mario Götze achieved the feat against Argentina in 2014.
“I am so happy that he scored that goal. He will go down in history and he deserves it.”
The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 38 matches in all competitions, the longest ever recorded by a European national team.
