ARLINGTON: Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said his side had revived the spirit of their 2010 World Cup triumph after a commanding 2-0 win over France on Tuesday sent them into the final and left them one victory from a second global title.

Spain, who won their first World Cup 16 years ago, neutralised a France attack that had scored 16 goals before the semi-final and had been regarded as one of the tournament’s most dangerous. France did not manage a shot on target until after the 80-minute mark.

“The message was that we were up against one of the best teams in the world, but that they were up against the best team in the world,” De la Fuente told a press conference.

“These players show commitment, solidarity and talent. They make the difficult look easy. They have talent and the right attitude towards life and sport.

“I see a happy dressing room and a nation behind us. We’ve recaptured the spirit of 2010. The character of this team is evident in the fact that those who didn’t play have stayed behind to train after the match.”

De la Fuente praised a squad he said had been built on humility, shared purpose and the absence of egos, saying Spain’s strength came from everyone moving in the same direction.

“I believe the most important thing is knowing how to choose your travelling companions. If you make the wrong choice of travelling companions, you could end up with a problem,” he said.

“We know that this team, not just the players, but everyone who makes up the squad works towards a common goal, with the same enthusiasm, and we are ordinary, generous people who seek the common good before our own individual interests.”

Spain, who won Euro 2024, have now equalled Italy’s record of 37 consecutive unbeaten matches, but De la Fuente said his players still had room to grow.

“This team never ceases to amaze me. The scope for improvement is endless,” he said. “It was a labour of love, a process. It was about reaching the crucial moment in the best possible shape.”

De la Fuente said he would like to face Argentina in the final because of his close friendship with manager Lionel Scaloni, while also praising England and describing the other semi-final as a match that “could easily be the World Cup final”.

“I don’t believe in the idea that finals are there to be won. They’re there to be enjoyed,” he said. “What’s to come could be the icing on the cake.”

RODRI ROLLS BACK THE YEAR

Meanwhile, Spain’s midfield maestro Rodri put on a masterclass against France, making a long-awaited return to the form that won him the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

Twenty-two months after rupturing his cruciate ligament in a clash with Thomas Partey playing for Manchester City against Arsenal in the Premier League, the 30-year-old found the perfect time to again hit the heights of his pre-injury performances.

“Step by step, one step further,” Rodri said after Spain triumph. “The team is elated. It’s the second time we’ve reached a final, and we need to stay calm and get some rest.”

The signs that Rodri has been returning to the levels that had been so central to City’s dominance of English and European football during and after the club’s treble-winning 2022-23 season had been increasingly visible throughout the tournament.

But it was on Tuesday that Rodri performed in a manner most reminiscent of the form that yielded his world record unbeaten streak from February 2023 to May 2024, when he went undefeated for City side in 74 consecutive matches.

He served as the fulcrum of a Spain performance that saw De la Fuente’s obdurate side frustrate and suffocate a French line-up that had been expected to dazzle with its attacking elan.

Instead it was Rodri who dominated, forming an unbreakable defensive triangle with Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsi to deny Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise the time and space they sought in central areas.

Rodri’s distribution, meanwhile, kept France on the back foot as he switched play to full backs Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro, all while covering more than 12.5 km in a performance that took Spain back to the final.

“Given the characteristics of both teams, you knew one was more explosive and the other more possession-oriented,” Rodri said. “The support from the full-backs from the whole team has been sensational.

DREAM COME TRUE

Porro, who scored Spain’s second goal, said reaching the World Cup final was “a dream come true”.

“(I am) very happy with the team’s attitude from start to finish. I think we played a great match, we did everything we had to do today to reach the final,” said the Tottenham Hotspur defender.

“It’s a dream come true… We knew (France) was a very, very tough team, one that had been doing things really well, and honestly, this is the team’s achievement, not mine at all,” he added.

The 26-year-old said Spain had played a “fantastic match” to beat the two-time world champions.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2026