Key player for the Spaniards
- Rodri (Manchester City, market value around 50 million euros): Rodri is the central figure in the Spanish midfield. The captain directs the game and distributes the balls from the center. He acts calmly and sets the pace for the team. Defensively, he is also not above any duel and can therefore also prevent the opponent’s attacks as a clearer. This defensive stability allows the players next to him, Pedri from FC Barcelona or Fabian from Paris Saint-Germain, to act more offensively and creatively.
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, market value around 200 million euros): The 18-year-old winger is the Spaniards’ offensive figurehead. The left-footed player is almost unstoppable in one-on-one situations and is also a goal threat when he moves in from the right wing. In many cases, he demands the attention of several defenders and creates free space for his teammates. He plays into these open spaces with dangerous passes into the interfaces and sets up goals. After his substitution against Cape Verde, the team looked different. How dependent is Spain on Yamal?
- Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao, market value around 40 million euros): At the European Championship 24, together with Yamal on the opposite side, he formed probably the best wing duo of the tournament. Plagued primarily by injuries, he has since been unable to build on his top performances from the European Championship year. With his pace and finishing qualities, he could still be an essential factor for Spain at the World Cup. However, the prerequisite for this will be that he gets fit and in shape by then. Against Cape Verde he was also missing everywhere.
- Pau Cubarsi (FC Barcelona, market value around 80 million euros): At 19, the central defender is one of the many young players who could play a central role at the World Cup. At the last European Championship and Nations League he only stayed on the bench, but his passing skills in the build-up game made him the focus of the coach. Even though he lacks the classic “center-back body” in terms of height and weight, his excellent positional play sets him apart. He will probably be at Aymeric Laporte’s side after Robin Le Normand lost his starting place and is still worried about his participation in the World Cup. Dean Huijsen has also missed several games at Real Madrid and will probably take on a bench role.
- Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao, market value around 22 million euros): The Spaniards’ most controversial position in the media is that of goalkeeper. For coach De la Fuente, however, it is clear that Unai Simón has his trust. This is met with incomprehension by some fans and the media, as he may be leaving out two goalkeepers who are statistically having a better season. So Joan García and David Raya will probably have to remain on the bench. It’s hard to believe that the coach will change his mind before the World Cup, but if Simon is unable to repay the trust with performance, the unrest surrounding the position will not subside.
Luis de la Fuente: The coach who stabilized Spain again
After the Spanish Football Association finally parted ways with Luis Enrique following his elimination in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup, they installed Luis de la Fuente as a long-term solution. The now 63-year-old had plenty of experience. Both as a player and as a coach, he worked in La Liga for Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo Alavés before spending more than ten years in Spain’s youth ranks.
Luis de la Fuente also has experience as a trainer in front of a global audience. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, he led the Spanish squad to the final. In this they narrowly lost to Brazil. Since being appointed head coach of the senior national team in 2023, he has increasingly stabilized “La Roja” and experienced his personal career highlight with the European Championship title in 2024.
Game system and tactics
De la Fuente continued to stick to the basic 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 structures. Systems that are very flexible overall and can therefore be easily adapted to the respective opponent. Nevertheless, a development away from the typical Spanish “Tiki-Taka” football can be seen, which is particularly characterized by ball possession and control of the game through a fast and direct short passing game.
The basic idea is that Spain is still focused on possession of the ball, but once they win the ball they should quickly go deeper. This puts the outside players like Yamal and Williams in one-on-one situations. With speed they can then attack the penalty area independently and look for shots or set the scene for the advancing players in the penalty area. Even when you have the ball, the game should be drawn out more in length and breadth in order to create dynamics.