Spain won a ticket to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Belgium. However, this performance once again revealed the finishing problem that coach Luis de la Fuente has not yet been able to solve.
La Roja opened the score in the 30th minute thanks to Fabian Ruiz, before Charles De Ketelaere headed in to equalize for Belgium at the end of the first half. When the match seemed to have to enter extra time, Mikel Merino took advantage of the mistake of goalkeeper Senne Lammens to score the decisive goal in the 88th minute, bringing Spain to the semi-finals against France.
Spain needs more sharpness in attack
Despite winning, Spain's attack continues to leave many worries. By the end of the quarter-finals, La Roja scored 11 goals with an expected goal difference (xG) of 11.83, reflecting that the ability to take advantage of opportunities is not really effective.
One of the reasons is that Spain does not possess a true center forward. Mikel Oyarzabal is originally a winger and has only been pulled in to play as a center forward recently. Ferran Torres also has a similar starting point and has never been considered a striker with stable scoring efficiency.
However, De la Fuente remains steadfast in his philosophy. Despite calling up center forward Borja Iglesias, the Spanish strategist almost does not use this player. He prioritizes strikers who can move wide, coordinate and create space instead of a classic "number 9".
That choice helps Spain maintain control of the game and create many opportunities, but also makes them pay the price with tense matches. In the last 2 matches, La Roja both needed the brilliance of Mikel Merino from the bench to decide the outcome.
The victory over Belgium shows that De la Fuente's philosophy is still effective. However, against the solid defense of the French team in the semi-finals, Spain will need to significantly improve their finishing ability if they want to continue to nurture hopes of conquering the 2026 World Cup.
De la Fuente's bold decision
One of De la Fuente's most notable decisions in the match against Belgium was to put Pedri on the bench to give Fabian Ruiz a chance to start. Although Pedri is considered one of the best midfielders in the world and a pillar of Barcelona as well as the Spanish national team, the 64-year-old strategist still did not hesitate to make a bold choice.
Ruiz responded to the coach's belief with the opening goal, thereby proving that De la Fuente's decision was completely grounded. In fact, in the last 4 matches at the 2026 World Cup, Ruiz was prioritized to start, while Pedri only came on in the second half.
De la Fuente's confidence comes from the success and prestige he built over many years working with Spanish youth teams, along with the previous EURO championship. The close relationship with the players helps him have enough confidence to make difficult decisions without affecting the atmosphere in the team.
More importantly, De la Fuente always puts collective interests above individual interests. Under his time, no star is considered inviolable, including Pedri or Lamine Yamal. It is the spirit of solidarity and healthy competition that has become the foundation for La Roja's success at the 2026 World Cup.
Ruiz's opening goal against Belgium not only helped Spain gain an advantage, but also proved De la Fuente's flexible and brave use of players.
