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Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente believes his side and France have both improved since their last meeting and described Tuesday's FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal as a contest worthy of being the final.
Addressing reporters ahead of the high-stakes clash, De la Fuente acknowledged the quality of the French side but expressed confidence in Spain's progress. "I think the France of now is superior to the last one we faced. They're a better team than back then, but so are we. Tomorrow's match could be the World Cup final," De la Fuente said. The Spanish coach said his team would approach the semifinal differently from previous encounters while aiming to build on the aspects that had worked in their favour. "It is a privilege to be in the situation we find ourselves in. Tomorrow we will play a match very different from the one in the Nations. We will try to repeat the scenarios that were favourable to us," he added. De la Fuente also stressed that reaching the World Cup final would require resilience and sacrifice, quoting Julius Caesar. "Julius Caesar said that 'there is no great achievement without suffering.' If you want to achieve something in life, you always have to leave something behind along the way. It's the semifinals of a World Cup. We're prepared to suffer," he said. Spain entered the semi-final in impressive form after defeating Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Fabian Ruiz and substitute Mikel Merino scored for La Roja, while Lamine Yamal was named Player of the Match as Spain extended their unbeaten run to 36 matches. France, on the other hand, has enjoyed the most convincing and controlled knockout-stage campaign among the four remaining teams. After finishing top of Group I, they opened the knockout rounds with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32. They then edged past Paraguay 1-0 in a closely contested Round of 16 before producing another disciplined display to defeat Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals and secure their place in the last four. Les Blues have scored six goals in the knockout stages without conceding a single one, underlining their defensive discipline and control under pressure. Even in tightly contested encounters, their structure has remained solid, while France captain Kylian Mbappe has continued to provide the cutting edge in attack when it matters most. (ANI)
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