Luis de la Fuente Backs Spain for Group H World Cup Run
Spain reached their group h world cup base in Chattanooga carrying a 30-game unbeaten run and a fresh claim to favorite status after winning Euro 2024. Luis de la Fuente said, "Why can’t Spain win the World Cup?" as the squad settled in before its first match in Atlanta.
Morata And Rodri Set The Tone
The confidence starts with the names Spain had already put on the table. A month before Euro 2024, Álvaro Morata named Rodri, Pedri, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal as world-class players, then lifted the Henri Delaunay Cup on 15 July 2024 after Spain beat Croatia, Italy, Germany, France and England on the way to the title.
Morata later said, "Seems I have an eye for a player," after the win. Rodri eventually backed up that praise by winning the Ballon d’Or a few months later, and Spain have kept the same core of talent in place as they move into the World Cup.
Spain Carry The Same Core
That spine is still easy to spot. Fabián Ruiz has won two Champions Leagues in a row, while David Raya and Joan García were described as the season’s best keepers in England and Spain. Mikel Oyarzabal also drew a direct line between the Euro 2024 side and the current group when he said, "Not much" when asked what differences he sees.
Spain’s unbeaten run is the strongest number attached to this team, even if it has not been spotless. They were beaten on penalties in the 2025 Nations League final, which sits inside that 30-game stretch and keeps the recent picture from looking like a straight march.
Atlanta Awaits Spain
Mikel Merino put the mood in one word when asked how Spain feel on the eve of the first match in Atlanta: "100%." That is the message inside the camp now — not caution, but the belief that the European champions can carry the same level into the World Cup.
For Spain, the immediate test is not the trophy talk but whether the same players who carried Euro 2024 can keep the run intact once the tournament starts in Atlanta. The expectation follows them into Chattanooga, and the first match will show whether the favorite label still fits when the games count again.
