Spanish national team head coach Luis de la Fuente has spoken out to defend Rodri against the wave of criticism after the disappointing 0-0 draw against Cabo Verde in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup.
The reigning European champions were unexpectedly held to a draw by the team participating in the World Cup for the first time, making the situation in Group H balanced when all four teams had the same point after the first match.
After the match, the Spanish media questioned De la Fuente's personnel usage. Many opinions said that arranging Gavi and Ferran Torres on the two wings was not effective, while the first substitutions were only made in the 71st minute even though La Roja was in great need of a goal.
Besides, Rodri also became the focus of criticism. Some experts believe that the Manchester City midfielder has made Spain's pace of play slow and lacks breakthroughs.
However, De la Fuente strongly refuted these comments: "I feel offended to hear such things about the best player in the world.
Do people dare to say the same things about other players considered the best in the world? I don't think so. But because they are Spanish, sometimes we are more strict with our own players.
One of the notable points in the match against Cabo Verde is that Lamine Yamal was only brought on from the 71st minute, although before the match De la Fuente affirmed that the young star of Barcelona was completely healthy. Immediately after appearing, Yamal helped the Spanish attack become sharper.
In addition to Yamal, some other players such as Nico Williams, Mikel Merino and Victor Munoz have not yet reached their best physical condition. However, De la Fuente believes that his players will soon regain their form in the next matches.
There is nothing to worry about. The players will be in the best condition at the time the team needs them most. In the match against Saudi Arabia, they will have more playing time and in the confrontation with Uruguay, they will play even better" - the Spanish captain said.
