ARLINGTON, Texas — Amid the celebrations following the 2-0 victory over France in the World Cup semifinals Tuesday, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente needed to take a call.
The king was on the phone.
“It’s such a source of pride that our king called us,” de la Fuente said. “He shows such an interest, and he keeps supporting us.”
From Barcelona, King Felipe VI got through to de la Fuente because, well, he’s the king. (He watched the match with his family while wearing a Spain jersey.) And his message was probably what most of Spain’s 48 million citizens also wanted to share with the team: Bravo.
In a match featuring European soccer royalty at AT&T Stadium, Spain was magisterial. With all systems clicking — high pressure, smothering defense, elegant passing and general control — La Roja ousted Les Bleus and advanced to the final for the first time since winning its only world title 16 years ago in South Africa.
The goals came early in each half; the execution of de la Fuente’s plans came from start to finish.
“We’re so proud of this,” said de la Fuente, who oversaw the 2024 European championship title and will carry a 37-game unbeaten streak into the final. “We are responsible for this joy people are feeling in the streets. … We are a country united for a common cause. So let’s enjoy this. We have one more step, the last one, the toughest one.”
After spanning North America the past five weeks, Spain has one last stop: MetLife Stadium on Sunday to face reigning champion Argentina or England.
The way they’ve performed — growing in each of six victories following a scoreless draw with Cape Verde in the opener and conceding just one measly goal overall — the Spaniards will go into the final as favorites.
“You can’t even dream about these things … being in a final,” said forward Mikel Oyarzabal, who converted a penalty kick in the 22nd minute. “There’s just one more step to go. … We’re making history, and we just want to go one more step forward. New York, New York.”
East Rutherford, New Jersey, actually. But point well taken, señor.
Pedro Porro, the right back, added the second goal in the 58th minute on a clinical combination with forward Dani Olmo.
Spain’s tactics left France with almost no hope of doing what it did in the World Cup final four years ago in Qatar — coming back from a two-goal deficit to force extra time against Argentina, which ended up winning in a shootout.
“Spanish teams know how to defend and master their game very well,” French coach Didier Deschamps said. “We need to accept this loss. Congratulations to the Spanish team. This is what elite football is about.”
A French team that recorded 16 goals in six matches, led by superstar Kylian Mbappé and tournament assist leader Michael Olise, needed a jackhammer to open the Spanish defense. It came with a butter knife.
“They closed all the spaces,” Deschamps said.
De la Fuente said Spain executed it with “discipline, being organized, with sacrifice, with commitment, with effort. … What we do best as Spanish players is interpret and read the games. They know how to act in the defensive and offensive phases. … That’s the fruit of our labor in the academies [with] all the coaches in Spain.”
It also helps to have a player like Lamine Yamal, the spectacular winger from FC Barcelona who turned 19 on Monday. Yamal drew the first-half penalty kick, had a goal disallowed by a whisker-close offside call and flashed his immense skills and smarts.
Mostly, though, Spain is about the collective — players who work and interact so well together.
“This team is made up of huge individuals, but all individuals work towards the benefit of the whole group,” de la Fuente said. “We are a team, and when you’re facing a team like us, then we’re unbeatable, and that’s how we’re feeling now.”
Unbeatable, and almost completely unscored upon. France’s high-octane attack generated few quality chances. And when Lucas Digne‘s defensive error led to the first-half penalty kick, Les Bleus were feeling blue knowing one goal is all Spain usually needs.
“Ambition was there; we were not lacking ambition,” Deschamps said.
His team just wasn’t able to penetrate the Spanish fortress.
“The game of our life and we lost,” midfielder Rayan Cherki said. “The disappointment is big. We should have done better.”
A lot of teams have said that after facing Spain.
With the loss, France fell short of a third consecutive appearance in the final under Deschamps, who, following Saturday’s third-place match in Miami, will end his 14-year reign. (He also captained France’s 1998 championship.)
“I am very proud of everything we’ve done with the national team,” he said. “To take the French national team to the highest level, I have [also] been lucky as a player to enjoy happy moments. Today is not such a moment, but we must accept it without forgetting everything we’ve experienced so far. But today’s feeling is that I am not happy.”
Happiness enveloped Spain, which, two summers ago, defeated France for the Olympic gold medal in Paris.
“I couldn’t even dream of this,” Porro said. “I’m so happy because of the team’s attitude from beginning to end. We had such an amazing game. We knew they were a very tough team that was doing things very well [at the World Cup], but this is our team.”
A team fit for a king.
