De la Fuente: "Morocco Has a Great Team, and Yamal Chose Spain Because He Feels Spanish"

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente discussed his team's ambitions for the 2026 World Cup, asserting that they possess the potential to win the global title. He also noted that the competition would be intense, especially with strong teams like Morocco, which has delivered impressive performances in recent editions of the tournament.

In an interview with the newspaper AS, De la Fuente stated, "Yes, we can be world champions. We are capable, and we will fight for it." He simultaneously pointed out that the tournament would be highly competitive, featuring strong teams such as Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Portugal, and Morocco, all of whom he considers among the top contenders for the title.

The Spanish coach added, "There has been no other World Cup that included such a strong group of contenders as we will see in the upcoming edition. Major teams like Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, and Portugal will be strongly present, but there are also teams like Morocco that have recently proven their strength and become a force to be reckoned with."

He continued, "Some teams will show significant progress, such as Morocco, which has a strong squad. They recently won the U20 World Cup, and now they have players in the best leagues worldwide."

In the context of discussing players and their international choices, De la Fuente spoke about Lamine Yamal, the young player who chose to play for Spain instead of Morocco. He said, "Lamine Yamal chose Spain, and this was a great decision for us." He concluded, "Everyone's choices must be respected, whether they choose Spain or any other national team. Lamine chose Spain because he feels Spanish, and that is the best news we could receive."