Spain just did it, man. Luis de la Fuente led La Roja to their *second ever* World Cup title on Sunday, shutting down Argentina with a 1-0 win at MetLife Stadium. This isn’t just another trophy; they denied Argentina the whole thing, which is huge. De la Fuente was clearly emotional, saying, “I never thought of anything like this.” You gotta love that raw honesty from a guy who just climbed the mountain.
The “Amazing Players” Who Made It Happen
De la Fuente was absolutely on cloud nine, and he immediately pointed to his squad, not himself. He said he “would not have achieved anything without these players,” calling them “amazing” and praising their “talent” and “the way they compete.” It’s clear this was a collective effort, which he hammered home again later, thanking his staff and everyone who worked with them, while declaring the players the “true protagonists.” The man felt “satisfaction” and “pride,” saying it was “such an honor to be the coach of these amazing players.” And guess what? He’s still championing Rodri, saying, “we’ve always said that he’s the best player in the world.” He even said Rodri “can win the next Ballon d’Or as can so many of our players.” That’s high praise after a World Cup performance where Rodri was “ever the maestro” keeping Spain cool against “Argentina’s street fighters.”
That Tattoo Vow and the History Appointment
This manager is a serious motivator. De la Fuente was praised for getting his team to “buy into a collective that often asked the individuals to sacrifice some of their preferred playing methods on the pitch.” Even teenager Lamine Yamal made sacrifices for the team, playing a “great World Cup” in De la Fuente’s opinion. You can see why they bought in when he dropped that pre-game speech: “I said gentlemen we have an appointment with history, and we want to be there first.” Talk about setting the stakes! But the real juice? He had some proper banter for Real Madrid defender Marc Cucurella. Apparently, Cucurella vowed to get a tattoo of his coach’s face if they won the World Cup, and other players were in on it too! De la Fuente joked, “I’m no longer of an age to be getting tattoos.” He totally called them out, saying, “I already told them they were wrong to say they’d get my face tattooed, because they’re men of their word and they’re going to follow through.” Then he added, “I am not so ugly, though.” Man, that’s legendary. These guys earned that tattoo!
What’s next for a team that just won everything? Some players were asking, “now what else is there to win as we’ve won everything in all categories.” But de la Fuente already has them locked in. He said, “What remains in the next match in September. The team are relentless.” So you know Spain isn’t resting on their laurels, even after writing their names into history.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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