De la Fuente says there's no panic after Spain was held by Cape Verde

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente remains confident that La Roja will progress far in the World Cup, despite a 0‑0 draw against debutants Cape Verde in their opening match.

The European champions missed the spark of Lamine Yamal, who was only fit enough for a second‑half cameo after returning from injury, and struggled to create chances against a side ranked 67th worldwide.

“We are completely calm, convinced that there is a long way to go. As we see it, we have seven games left,” De la Fuente said.

“We lacked freshness and precision.”

Spain are now 32 competitive games unbeaten, a streak that began in March 2023.

The lackluster performance recalled painful memories of their narrow exits to Russia and Morocco on penalties in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, when they dominated possession but failed to score.

“Tomorrow I’ll bring up that magic number,” De la Fuente added, referring to the unbeaten run.

“We have to stick to our philosophy and get key players back that will play a crucial role as the tournament progresses.”

Yamal’s introduction immediately injected life into Spain’s attack and lifted the majority of the nearly 70,000‑strong crowd, eager to see the Barcelona star.

Yet, Cape Verde doubled and at times even trebled on the 18‑year‑old.

After an injury‑plagued season at Athletic Bilbao, Nico Williams was also kept on the bench until the 87th minute.

“They are two game‑changing players, but the ones we’ve had on the pitch are too. They bring different qualities to the table,” De la Fuente said.

“They will provide new options and the team will continue to grow. What we need to do is find our rhythm and the decisive touch required for this type of competition, which I have no doubt we will acquire.”

“Lamine showed exactly what he’s capable of the moment he stepped onto the pitch, forcing the opposition to change their approach, but that was the amount of playing time we felt was right for him.”

“Once we regain our chemistry and competitive edge, the team will be even better.”

Spain return to Atlanta for their second game against Saudi Arabia on Sunday before facing Uruguay in Guadalajara.

AFP

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