Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente is getting a lot of credit for leading the team to the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. His leadership skills, ability to manage players, and years of experience in youth football are seen as big reasons for La Roja’s success.
Spain secured their place in the final after beating France 2-0. They are now just one win away from becoming world champions for the second time.
Since he took over the national team in December 2022, De la Fuente has led Spain to the 2023 UEFA Nations League title and the UEFA Euro 2024 crown. He also guided the team to the 2025 Nations League final.
Former teammates and colleagues have shared their thoughts on De la Fuente's success. They told FIFA in a report on Thursday that his character is as important as his tactical skills.
Manolo Jimenez, a former Sevilla teammate and coach, described him as “a good person and a great colleague.” He remembered how De la Fuente was always keen to help young players and work on his own improvement.
“He worked incredibly hard and never gave up; he’s earned everything he has achieved. To see him today, at the very top of Spanish football, is fantastic.
“For me, it’s wonderful to see a good person, a good colleague, a good footballer and a good coach achieving that kind of success,” Jimenez said.
Former Vice-President of the Spanish Football Association Tito Blanco also praised De la Fuente. He said De la Fuente impressed him from their first meeting and confirmed the federation made the right choice by promoting him to the senior team.
“I discovered that he is an extraordinary person, someone with great character. When he was promoted to coach of the senior national team, we knew we were making the right decision and taking no unnecessary risks. I don’t think there was a better candidate for the job,” he stated.
Santi Denia, the coach of the Spain Under-21 team, has worked with De la Fuente for 14 years. He mentioned that De la Fuente's deep understanding of players coming up from youth levels has helped build the current squad.
Denia said, “Luis is a master of managing a team: he understands how players tick, he knows how to guide them, and he senses who should start each match.”
He also noted that De la Fuente's leadership goes beyond just the players.
“We’re not just talking about the players, but a team of 50 to 70 people. That’s not easy, and he’s truly mastered the skill of managing people,” Denia said.
Fernando Hierro, a former captain of Spain, praised De la Fuente’s calm way of handling things and his understanding of the team environment. He said the coach has created a strong bond among the players.
“They’re like a close-knit family; they enjoy spending time together and genuinely have fun.
“That creates an exceptional atmosphere. In a World Cup, where people spend so much time living and working together, that becomes incredibly important,” the Real Madrid legend said.
Now, Spain will aim to add the FIFA World Cup trophy to De la Fuente’s list of achievements since he became coach nearly four years ago.
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