Affable and well-mannered, 65-year-old Luis de la Fuente is not a coach for hyperbole. In need of another moment of magic in the greenhouse of a stadium in Los Angeles, the Spain head coach threw on his ace in his pack. Two minutes later, Mikel Merino was a late-show match-winner once again, pouncing with a substitute spring in his step to overcome Belgium’s resilient showing. Yet assuming De la Fuente’s words of wisdom for the midfielder were awe-inspiring would be misguided.
“The truth is… he told me very little,” Merino said after his 88th-minute quarter-final winner on Friday, witnessed by his two-month-old son Marco. “He [De la Fuente] told me it’s something about [being a] number 10. And then when the match ended, he told me I was incredible – and those were the two things he commented to me.”
Merino has a habit of scoring in critical moments for his country; he scored the winner in the quarter-final win over Germany at Euro 2024. A year later, he was on the scoresheet in the mesmeric 5-4 Nations League victory against France and, obviously, he also notched the winner against Portugal last Monday. It speaks to Spain’s depth upon depth of midfield talent – Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo and Pedri all featured before Merino on Friday – that the Arsenal man is accepting of, without complaint, his role in the squad.
Yet Spain, as acknowledged by star player Lamine Yamal who – disconcertingly but also excitingly – is yet to fully fire despite flashes of magic, were not at their best in Inglewood.
“We didn't play very well but hey, we were right there with them and we held up well,” said Yamal, who turns 19 on Monday. “I think if we had kept the ball a bit better, we would have created a lot more and been more dangerous.”
And so it’s onto Tuesday’s semi-final, the 90,000-seater air-conditioned stadium in Dallas and France. Widely considered the two strongest teams in the tournament, Argentina’s last World Cup triumph and dominance in South America (both in their 2024 Copa America triumph and World Cup qualifying) are why these two juggernauts are in the same half of the draw. It feels seismic; the winner is near-certain to be the favourite in the final on 19 July.
Yet momentum-wise, such has been their firepower and Kylian Mbappe’s electrifying form, the bookies are with France.
“I think reaching the World Cup semi-finals, everyone was waiting for this match,” Yamal added. “We were really looking forward to it arriving. For me, they are the two best national teams in the World Cup, but we have no fear. I think if anyone can go into a match against France with confidence, it's us.
"I expect a team that comes at us, but not for the whole match. I think there is no national team that is going to play us man-to-man across the whole pitch. But we know France has players of great quality up front and at the back, and very physical. We will play the way we know how, we will try to have the ball.”
Spain have stumbled through their last two knockout games; France have been far more authoritative, particularly in their 2-0 win over a Morocco side who were, albeit, disappointing. But recent crunch encounters between these two are the key feathers in Spain’s cap; victories that should give La Roja bundles of confidence.
Of course, the most prominent was their semi-final match-up at Euro 2024, in which Yamal stole the show with his stunning long-range effort, becoming the youngest scorer in the history of the European Championships at just 16. Yamal’s 21st-minute goal was the equaliser; Dani Olmo’s strike four minutes later was the winner. France are a different beast this summer, but they do have vulnerabilities.
While France’s forward line leads the way, Spain’s midfield dynamism and versatility are a cut above. Defensively, Spain have proven themselves superior; Belgium’s equaliser on Friday was the first goal they have conceded all tournament. Both goalkeepers are evenly matched, too.
There is another key aspect on which Spain can thrive. Only four of France’s 2026 squad have tasted tournament success – Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, N’Golo Kante and Lucas Hernandez the only remaining members of the 2018 group. The crux of Spain’s squad, meanwhile, was present on the podium in Berlin two years ago. That know-how of how to get it done at the latter stages can, and does, play a part in high-stakes, latter-stage tournament football.
As referenced previously, too, Spain defeated France in a chaotic Nations League semi-final last year, something De la Fuente was all too keen to point out. “I’m sure France are as worried as we are – remember we beat them in two consecutive games.”
And in a thought matched by many, without even any negligence or complacency with what could come against England, Norway, Argentina or Switzerland, De la Fuente added of Tuesday’s showdown: “It’s going to be a fantastic game, the final before the final. Two of the best teams in this tournament.
“We are capable of winning this game. I would have said this a few weeks ago. I have the conviction, the trust and full confidence in the team and our potential. But we will face a giant of football.”
