Spain coach Luis de la Fuente will not allow the World Cup winners to rest on their laurels as they get back into action this week for the first time since their triumph.
Spain’s next major target will be the 2028 European championships, where they have a chance to emulate the La Roja side that won Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012.
De la Fuente said in the aftermath of the World Cup final victory over Argentina in New Jersey in July, he was already looking to the future.
That position in the team, among a few others, will be disputed during the Nations League and the build-up to Euro 2028, which is ideal for De la Fuente.
“In the heat of the moment, two or three minutes later, a player came up to me and said, ‘What do we still have to win? Well, the match against England on September 26th,” said De la Fuente. “This team never stops. The World Cup isn’t enough we have to be better. What we’ve achieved isn’t enough to win the next match. De la Fuente picked a similar squad to his World Cup team for the upcoming Nations League games against England, Croatia twice, and the Czech Republic. Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez returned, after missing the World Cup with a foot injury, while Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen has been recalled too. Mikel Oyarzabal led the line for Spain through most of the World Cup, while Ferran Torres scored the winner in the final, but Fernandez can stake his claim after he was chosen over Real Madrid’s Carlos Espi.
