2026 World Cup | What can France expect from Spain?

2026 World Cup | What can France expect from Spain? Spain are one of the big favourites in North America this summer – and the squad that Luis de la Fuente has picked has only reinforced that. He has a well balanced and competitive group that believes in the sort of football that has already yielded great success. The European champions are dreaming of stitching a second star above their crest. Much of the media focus has inevitably fallen on Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, whose imagination, creativity and personality has transformed the Spain frontline into a real force. His partner in crime, Nico Williams, has hit form in the final weeks of the season at Athletic Club. The two wingers were a revelation at Euro 2024, injecting freshness into a team that still dominates the ball. “Do we think we’re favourites? Yes. Can we win the World Cup? Yes. But that doesn’t guarantee anything,” De la Fuente has said. There is quality right through a squad that will face Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde at the group stage. De la Fuente has a good kind of headache in goal, with regular No 1 Unai Simón being pushed hard by David Raya and Joan García, who come into the tournament off the back of excellent seasons with Arsenal and Barcelona. At the back, Eric García has been recalled after becoming one of Barça’s most reliable defenders with and without the ball. The middle of the park continues to be the jewel in the Spain crown with technicians such as Pedri, Gavi and Martín Zubimendi who embody a style of play built on possession and control, not to mention the star power of Rodri and Fabián Ruiz.  Add to that the flair of Lamine and Williams, plus the goalscoring instinct of Mikel Oyarzabal – a striker who produces in the big moments – backed up by Ferran Torres and Borja Iglesias. Goals shouldn’t be a problem for a team that scored 21 in six qualifiers, winning five and drawing one. De la Fuente has the perfect blend of youth and experience, prodigious talent and maturity, and pure ambition. What to expect from Spain’s fans Spain fans often travel to major tournaments in big numbers, pulled along by the team’s attractive style of play and recent success. You sometimes see supporters dressed as bullfighters or waving Spain flags with bulls on them. Although it does not represent the variety and diversity of the country as a whole, they are symbols that accompany the national team and form part of the imagination. Manolo ‘el del bombo’ (the man with the drum) was a constant presence at tournaments and, after his death last year, Spain fans still beat drums in his honour. This piece is from  Nadia Tronchoni  for  El País  as part og the Guardian Sports Network GFFN  |  Luke Entwistle