An emotional Luis de la Fuente praised Spain’s “golden generation” after guiding La Roja to their second FIFA World Cup title with a hard fought 1-0 extra time victory over Argentina in Sunday’s final.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time as Spain dethroned the defending champions to lift the World Cup for the second time in the nation’s history. The victory also completed another remarkable chapter under De la Fuente, whose side added the World Cup to their UEFA Nations League and European Championship successes.
Speaking after the final whistle, the Spain manager struggled to hide his emotions as he reflected on the journey that brought his players to football’s biggest prize.
“So much pride. Pride for this generation of footballers that have been growing with this idea, staying loyal to the idea, and doing their best. They are an example of a team, a group, a family, and a collective of great players that have been exceptional. I’m just so proud to have accompanied them on this journey, to have been there with them on this trajectory is an honour.
“I can’t really tell you how I feel. All I can say was it was worth it. Of course at the moment I am very emotional, particularly having watched from behind the scenes. I have spoken so much to the players, who said to me, ‘Boss, we’ve won it all’, and it’s marvellous. This generation of players is an example for Spanish sport, for the Spanish youth. Together we are much stronger, and that is why we don’t forget anyone.
“Of course we would have liked to win the game much sooner. The Martinez save prevented us from doing so. We tried and tried to get on the scoresheet but weren’t able to, but this is a World Cup final, even against ten men at the end we had to suffer. But, we like to suffer, and I’ll say it again, we were prepared for everything.”
The triumph also secured a place in football history for De la Fuente. At 65 years and 29 days old, he became the oldest manager ever to win the FIFA World Cup.
The experienced coach has enjoyed an extraordinary rise through Spain’s coaching ranks. A former left back, De la Fuente spent 13 seasons in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla, making 254 league appearances and scoring six goals. During his playing career, he won two Spanish league titles with Athletic Bilbao, including a historic league and Copa del Rey double in 1984.
His coaching journey with the Spanish Football Federation began in 2013, when he took charge of the country’s youth teams. He guided Spain’s Under 19 side to the 2015 UEFA European Championship before leading the Under 21 team to the 2019 European Championship title. He also coached Spain’s Olympic team to a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
De la Fuente stepped up to manage the senior national team in 2022 and has since transformed Spain into one of the world’s dominant football nations. Under his leadership, La Roja won the 2023 UEFA Nations League, lifted the UEFA Euro 2024 trophy and have now added the 2026 FIFA World Cup, completing one of the most successful periods in Spanish football history.
Spain’s latest triumph confirmed the strength of a talented generation that combined youthful brilliance with experience, as De la Fuente’s faith in his players delivered the country’s second World Cup crown and cemented his place among Spain’s greatest managers.
