Luis de la Fuente Backs Spain’s 30-Game Run — Group H World Cup 2026
Spain arrive at their group h world cup 2026 build-up in Chattanooga unbeaten in 30 games and openly leaning into the favourite label before their first match in Atlanta. Luis de la Fuente has put the question bluntly: “Why can’t Spain win the World Cup?”
De la Fuente in Chattanooga
The coach’s message matches Spain’s mood at their World Cup base. After winning Euro 2024 and running through Croatia, Italy, Germany, France and England on the way to the title, they have carried that momentum into the tournament camp in Chattanooga.
Spain’s run has not been flawless. They were beaten on penalties in the 2025 Nations League final, a reminder that the margin between a trophy and a setback can be thin even for a team with this record. Still, the numbers around them are hard to ignore: 30 games unbeaten, a European crown from 15 July 2024, and a squad that has kept much of its core in place.
Morata, Rodri and Spain
Álvaro Morata lifted the Henri Delaunay Cup on 15 July 2024, then joked, “Seems I have an eye for a player,” after backing Rodri before the midfielder went on to win the Ballon d’Or a few months later. That sequence captures why Spain are being talked about differently now: their biggest names have already turned a European title into individual recognition and a longer unbeaten stretch.
Rodri was direct about the label Spain carry now. “I don’t think we were favourites at the Euros and we won it,” he said during the World Cup build-up. That line fits a team that no longer needs to argue its case. The results have done it for them, and their record gives them a strong footing before Atlanta.
Oyarzabal and Merino
Mikel Merino said Spain feel “100%” confident on the eve of the first match in Atlanta, while Mikel Oyarzabal was even shorter when asked what has changed since Euro 2024: “Not much.” Those answers point to continuity, not reinvention, and Spain are presenting themselves that way as they enter the tournament.
There has been some change in the squad, but the core story is the same one that carried them through the Euros: familiarity, a title in hand and a long unbeaten run. Spain’s opening in Atlanta will test whether that confidence travels as well as it sounds in camp.
