De la Fuente emphasized that Spain has regained its fighting spirit.

Spain will host Croatia in the second round of Group C of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. De la Fuente stated that the "La Roja" have rediscovered the fighting spirit they had when they competed for the championship.

In the first round of group matches, Spain defeated England 3-2 thanks to goals from Yamal, Alex Baena and Oyarzabal.

It's worth noting that Spain is currently on a 39-match unbeaten streak, and during this exciting run, they won the 2024 European Championship and this year's World Cup. Furthermore, Spain won their first-ever World Cup title in 2010.

Spain coach De la Fuente said, "It is something to be proud of for us to see the whole nation supporting the national team like this. Wherever we go, we have rediscovered the fighting spirit of 2010, and everyone is proud to be Spanish."

"I feel very honored to be the head coach of my country. I have a house in Seville, so returning here this time has a very special meaning for me."

In their head-to-head record, Spain has won three and lost one of their last four matches against Croatia, giving them a slight psychological advantage. However, Croatia also enjoys high morale after defeating the Czech Republic 2-1 in their opening UEFA Nations League group stage match.

De la Fuente stated, "I certainly believe Croatia is competitive, and the first thing they need to believe is themselves. Otherwise, they wouldn't be running and fighting in the game. In football, there are no absolutely weak opponents, and there is no day when you are invincible. The cruelest thing about this sport is that even if a team has the advantage in strength, it can still lose the game."

“We know Croatia very well; we’ve played against them many times. They have world-class players and a very capable new coach.”

In addition, De la Fuente stated, "We must perform better than we did in London, and the players understand that. We set higher standards for ourselves every day because our opponents are becoming increasingly difficult to deal with."

Image source: Internet