“Today we faced one of the best national teams in the world,” Luis de la Fuente grinned after pitting his wits against France in the first 2026 World Cup semifinal, “but in front of them they had the best team in the world.”
Spain’s rampant confidence has been a theme of this summer. While the vast majority of neutrals had tripped over themselves to laud the attacking panache of France across the first six rounds of World Cup games, the reigning European champion has quietly and calming told anyone who would listen that this is its title for the taking.
