Our national team has all the ingredients to win the World Cup for the second time. Related news

My message to La Roja: 'An entire country stands behind you'

Confidence in victory is there... my expectations are always the best

Football: the language of peoples and a message of peace

Unai Simón, Rodri, and Dani Olmo in the spotlight of admiration

As the world's eyes turn to the final match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Spanish are experiencing a state of optimism and confidence following the outstanding performance of their national team, which has returned to the World Cup final for the first time since its historic title win in South Africa in 2010.

In this exclusive interview with 'Al-Midan', the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Javier Carbajosa, affirms that reaching the World Cup final is a source of pride for all Spaniards, expressing his great enthusiasm to follow the final and pointing out that the secret of the team's success lies not only in having players with exceptional skills but in the collective spirit that the coaching staff has managed to instill within the team.

The ambassador discusses the most prominent players who caught his attention during the tournament, the message he sends to the team before the final, and presents his vision of football as a universal language and a bridge for communication between peoples and cultures, and a message of peace that transcends the boundaries of competition on the pitch.

Reaching the final... an achievement that carries great pride

The Spanish national team has reached the FIFA World Cup final after an outstanding journey in the tournament. As the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, what does this achievement mean to you personally?

Without a doubt, this achievement means a lot to me, both as the ambassador of Spain and as a Spanish citizen. It is a wonderful achievement; we are talking about the World Cup final, and the Spanish national team is a party to it, something that has not happened since 2010.

Thus, the team has a real opportunity to win the World Cup for the second time in its history. You can imagine the level of enthusiasm we all feel; personally, I am experiencing a great deal of excitement and eagerly look forward to watching the final match on Sunday, July 19, which also marks the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Team spirit over stars... the secret to reaching the final

In your opinion, what was the most prominent factor behind the Spanish national team's success in reaching the final match?

In my view, the most important factor is not just that we have a group of highly skilled players—each one is a distinguished player in his own right—but rather that the national team coach has managed to instill a team spirit and build a clear concept that the group as a whole is more important than any individual, no matter how talented.

All the players understand that they are playing for one common goal, which is to achieve victory. This collective spirit, in my opinion, was one of the most important reasons for the Spanish national team's arrival at the final match.

Circle of admiration

Which player in the Spanish national team caught your attention the most during the tournament, and why?

If I had to choose one player, or a limited number of players who have impressed me, I would say that goalkeeper Unai Simón, who entered the tournament amid much debate about his level, has performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament. I also see that Rodri and Dani Olmo have delivered outstanding performances and contributed significantly to the team's play.

I would also like to emphasize that all members of the team deserve praise and appreciation for what they have provided throughout the tournament journey; each of them has played an important role in reaching the final match.

Message to La Roja

What message would you like to send to the Spanish national team before the final match?

I think they already know the message they are receiving from all the people of Spain, which is that an entire country stands behind them, believes in their abilities, supports them, and knows that they represent all of us in this tournament.

We all have confidence that they will do their utmost on the field and give everything they have to represent Spain in the best possible way.

Great optimism

What are your aspirations and expectations for the Spanish national team in the final match?

Naturally, my expectations are always the best.

We are facing a great team, just like the Argentine national team, but I also believe that the Spanish national team possesses all the necessary ingredients to win the tournament.

Therefore, I look forward with great optimism to Spain achieving a great victory and winning the World Cup title.

A message of peace

Football has brought together millions of fans during this edition of the World Cup. In your view, what makes football a strong bridge for communication between cultures and peoples?

Football is not just a sport; it is a culture that brings people together, just as sport has brought humanity together for thousands of years. It is closely linked to pride and a sense of belonging to a community with its own identity and distinctiveness.

It is not about one side being better than the other; every people has its own customs, behaviors, values, and beliefs. In the end, when it comes to competition and playing a match governed by specific rules, it is very important that your team and values are represented in the best way, through fair play and adherence to the laws.

This is the essence of sport and its true message: it offers the world one of the most noble messages of peace and affirms that competition can be a means of rapprochement and understanding between peoples, no matter how different their cultures and languages.