Luis de la Fuente may initially resemble a college professor with his calm demeanor and thoughtful presence, but do not let that fool you. The 65-year-old’s roots trace back to a time in Spanish football where the game’s ruggedness dictated survival over finesse. As a left-back for Athletic Club, he made 196 appearances throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Notably, he was present during the infamous ‘Butcher of Bilbao’ match, where Andoni Goikoetxea broke Diego Maradona’s ankle.
Event Context
During the World Cup, Spain further enhanced their tactical approach. They outperformed France in tackles, securing 22 to France’s 14, and achieved 14 successful tackles compared to France’s eight. Additionally, Spain dominated possession battles, winning 55.9 percent of duels, marking France’s lowest duel-winning rate in nearly 50 years at a World Cup match.
This effective strategy was also pivotal in their victory over Argentina in the final.
Cubarsi stood out with a total of 668 passes throughout the tournament, ranking second only to Rodri, while his defensive partner, Laporte, made 618 passes. This impressive performance came from a centre-back duo combining youthful talent with experience, featuring a promising 19-year-old alongside a veteran rebuilding his career after two years away from top-tier European football.
Cubarsi emerged as one of the tournament’s standout players. He excelled in defending against Cristiano Ronaldo in the match against Portugal, recorded 10 defensive interventions against France, and maintained his poise in the final against Argentina, ultimately earning the Young Player of the Tournament accolade.
Spain showcased a patient buildup when in possession, yet demonstrated relentless intensity off the ball. No team retrieved possession in the attacking third more frequently than La Roja, averaging almost nine recoveries per game in the opponent’s half—second only to Germany—and had the quickest average recovery time at 11.6 seconds after losing possession among all semifinalists.
Their strategic play often forced opponents into errors in areas densely populated with Spanish players.
Further up the pitch, Olmo effectively unsettled rival defenses. Operating between the lines, he consistently drew holding midfielders and centre-backs out of position, creating opportunities for teammates. His intelligent movement was vital against France, pulling defenders Maxence Lacroix and Dayot Upamecano from their positions, allowing Pedro Porro to score from the open channel.
In the final, Olmo again prioritized team success over individual accolades, dropping deeper to facilitate offensive plays before Williams assisted in recycling possession for Torres’ extra-time winner. He finished the tournament as Spain’s leading scorer, yet his most significant impact was in enhancing the performance of those around him.
Overall, Spain’s cohesive play resulted in them being the most complete team at the World Cup. They emerged victorious because every player understood and executed their role effectively.
Player Focus
Euro 2024 marked a transformative shift for Spain under manager De la Fuente. He took over a squad that’s historically struggled with excessive possession, and his key strategy involved quickly moving the ball into open spaces for talents like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. This tactical gamble proved successful, as Spain frequently found the net through wide combinations and received impactful contributions from substitutes.
France’s midfield struggled to cope as Spain consistently overpowered them, applying pressure from various angles and disrupting their attempts to progress. Stars Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were often stranded, and the Golden Boot winner ended the match without a single shot on target.
Spain effectively neutralized Lionel Messi’s impact by cutting off his supply chain. The Argentine ace, who came into the final with an impressive eight goals and four assists, spent much of the match searching for the ball. Spain dominated possession, holding 60 percent of it, completing 774 out of 896 passes, and limiting Argentina to just two attempts after the 118th minute, neither of which challenged goalkeeper Unai Simon.
With the front five maintaining a narrow formation, the full-backs consistently widened the pitch, overlapping into advanced positions and providing numerical advantages in the final third. Porro’s forward runs were pivotal, scoring crucial goals against Austria and France, while Cucurella forged a strong partnership with Mikel Oyarzabal on the left, contributing two assists during the knockout stages.
Rodri arrived at the tournament following two injury-hit seasons with Manchester City, yet he performed like the Ballon d’Or winner from 2024.
Oyarzabal, who previously played as a winger, transformed his game into that of a striker after a significant ACL injury sidelined him for nearly a year in 2022. This shift bore fruit at the World Cup, as he emerged as Spain’s top scorer with nine goals.
Rodri and Olmo: Spain’s control tower
Decades after the previous triumph, De la Fuente sculpted Spain’s most composed and well-rounded team. The side conceded a mere single goal throughout the World Cup, marking the fewest ever by a men’s champion, and secured football’s crowning glory by showcasing exceptional clarity over chaos. This accomplishment was not handed to De la Fuente; he meticulously crafted it from the ground up, mentoring players through Spain’s Under-19s, Under-21s, and Olympic squads before integrating them into a senior team that embodied his football philosophy. Though comparisons to the 2010 World Cup-winning squad were inevitable, De la Fuente resisted the urge to replicate tiki-taka, instead evolving it into a more contemporary approach.
In possession, Spain frequently adopted a 2-3-5 formation. The central midfielders often dropped deeper during build-up, positioning themselves closer to the center-backs than Dani Olmo, who operated effectively between the lines. This structure lured opponents out of position, creating opportunities for quick switches through the full-backs, thus enabling Spain’s tightly-knit front five to rotate within central channels. This approach was a more nuanced adaptation of Spain’s traditional possession game, making it challenging for opponents to disrupt.
Spain showcased flexibility, adapting their strategy against each opponent throughout the knockout stages without losing their core identity. De la Fuente implemented tailored plans for each heavyweight, executing them with precision.
In the Round of 16 against Portugal, both teams lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which led to a stalemate for extended periods. De la Fuente’s tactical tweak involved pushing Pedri higher from the double pivot once Spain settled into Portugal’s half. Rodri held his position at the base of midfield, managing transitions and orchestrating the tempo, effectively adding an extra attacker between the lines while maintaining defensive stability.
Defensively, 19-year-old Pau Cubarsi impressively tracked Cristiano Ronaldo, successfully limiting his impact in threatening areas.
In the semifinal against France, a matchup dubbed ‘best attack vs. best defense,’ the decisive battle unfolded in midfield. Rodri was instrumental, disrupting every French offense as he intercepted passes and recycled possession, dictating the pace of the game alongside Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo. This triad completely dominated the midfield, depriving France of crucial territory and time.
When Enzo Fernandez received a red card, Spain tightened their grip, with substitutes Williams and Ferran Torres combining brilliantly for the game-winning goal in extra time.
While Rodri and Spain’s midfield received significant attention, Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte were vital in constructing the tournament’s leading defense. Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro flanked them, providing the necessary width that made Spain’s system function effectively.
Out of possession, their role was equally crucial. Both full-backs suffocated wide spaces with remarkable speed, ensuring Spain’s center-backs avoided precarious situations.
This relentless pressing translated into goal-scoring opportunities. In the final alone, Spain regained possession 28 times in Argentina’s half, resulting in 10 attempts on goal.
Rodri completed 790 passes during the tournament, surpassing Xavi’s record from Spain’s victorious 2010 campaign, while also leading the team in touches, progressive carries, and successful tackles.
Together, Rodri and Olmo dominated every aspect of the game, with one controlling possession and the other dismantling the opposition’s defensive structure. Unlike many modern forwards, Oyarzabal consistently dropped into midfield, facilitating play, generating space for Williams and Yamal to exploit wings, and executing intelligent runs into the box. His movement infused unpredictability into Spain’s attack.
