"We don't care who we face" – Spain coach,

"We don't care who we face" – Spain coach,

According to Soccernews.

Context

Luis de la Fuente, as coach of the Spanish national team, demonstrated a confident and strategic approach, emphasizing the team's collective strength. The victory over Portugal not only solidified their position, but also reinforced the importance of players like Mikel Merino, who can make a difference in decisive moments. Spain, under his leadership, is positioning itself as one of the favorites for the 2026 World Cup.

Why this matters

Spain's victory over Portugal in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup is an important milestone for the team, highlighting its resilience and ability to win at critical moments. Mikel Merino's goal, who came on as a substitute, not only secured qualification, but also set a new record for goals scored in the last minutes in this edition of the tournament. This confidence shown by Luis de la Fuente could be crucial for Spain's performance in the next stages.

Main conclusions

• "We don't care who we face" – Spain coach.
• After the victory over Portugal, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente highlights the team's confidence in their chances at the World Cup.
• 'We don't care who we face' – Spain boss De la Fuente confident in World Cup chances.

The coach of the Spanish national team, Luis de la Fuente, stated that Spain is not worried about who they will face in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup. The statement came after the team's victory over Portugal, 1-0, at the Dallas Stadium. The winning goal was scored by Mikel Merino, who came on as a substitute and found the net in stoppage time, in the 91st minute. With this victory, Spain advances to the next phase of the competition, and Merino's goal became the tenth goal scored in the last minutes (90th or 120th) in this edition of the World Cup, setting a new record in the history of the tournament. Furthermore, this was Spain's 11th 1-0 victory in World Cups, behind only Germany, which has 17, and Brazil, with 13. De la Fuente highlighted the importance of the game and the team's resilience: "It was a fantastic game, a final before the final, and, as expected, we suffered until the last minute. At this stage, we don't care who we face, we are happy to be in the quarter-finals and we will do our best until the end. We have many qualities that will make our opponents think we are the team to beat. We are very confident in ourselves, and we will do our best until the last moment. Our opponents will have to beat us. I think that we have many advantages that will make our opponents think the same way." Merino's goal was also significant for his career, as it was only Spain's second goal scored in the last few minutes at a World Cup, the first being scored by Peiro against Mexico in 1962. Furthermore, he became the fifth Arsenal player to score in this edition of the World Cup, a first for the club.Merino had faced doubts about his presence in the tournament due to a foot injury, but managed to recover in time. In an interview with La 1, he commented: "Life has its ups and downs, good and bad moments. When they told me about the injury, I thought I wouldn't be at the World Cup and here we are. You never get used to having these joys. It was such a beautiful match and giving this joy to people at home is incredible."

What happens next

With Spain advancing to the quarterfinals, the next opponent will be determined between the United States and Belgium. Luis de la Fuente expressed that the team is focused on its own performance regardless of the opponent. Preparation for this clash will be vital as Spain look to continue their journey towards the 2026 World Cup title, keeping their confidence high after the victory over Portugal.