De la Fuente: 'France are much better than two years ago'

Luis de la Fuente, the head coach of the Spanish national team, has delivered a blunt assessment of their World Cup 2026 semi-final opponents, admitting France have evolved significantly since their last meeting. Spain and France clash on Tuesday at AT&T Stadium, with the winner advancing to the July 19 final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to face either Argentina or England. De la Fuente underlined that the current French side is a far cry from the one Spain beat 2-1 in the Euro 2024 semi-finals two years ago. "France are much better now than they were when we faced them before. Individually, they've grown. Kylian Mbappé is better, Ousmane Dembélé is better. As a team, they are better, but we have also improved," the coach stated. The teams have recent history: aside from that Euro semi, they met last summer in the UEFA Nations League semi-final — a thriller where Spain led 4-0 before clinging on for a 5-4 victory. At this World Cup, France have been devastating in attack: 16 goals in six matches, conceding only two. The quintet of Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise, Doué and Barcola has combined for 16 goals and 12 assists — Mbappé netting eight, Michael Olise providing five assists. Spain have scored 11 goals but conceded just once — a Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere strike in the quarter-final — keeping a clean sheet for the opening 650 minutes of the tournament. Spain (third in FIFA rankings) and France (first) were widely seen as the pre-tournament favorites. "I've already said this could easily be the final. The other semi between Argentina and England is also a final," de la Fuente noted. On tactics, he stressed: "We've studied France thoroughly. The aim is to deny them space, break their connections, and minimize their strengths. We need discipline and intelligence in both boxes. We cannot give them easy opportunities." It was previously announced that the semi-final between France and Spain will be officiated by Barton from El Salvador.