Luis de la Fuente, head coach of the Spanish national football team, warned about the difficulty of the upcoming match against Belgium on Friday in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, affirming that it is their toughest test in the tournament. Spain is one of the favorites to win the title and advanced to this round after a 1-0 victory over Portugal. The 'Matador' has evolved during the tournament with a balanced lineup, comfortable in possession, solid in defense—having not conceded a single goal—and possessing sufficient attacking capabilities to trouble any opponent. De la Fuente said in a press conference on Thursday: 'The match will be the toughest for us so far. Belgium's squad has experience and includes players who have proven themselves at several of the biggest European clubs, and they are accustomed to winning.' The winner of the match will face France in the semifinals on Tuesday in Dallas, after 'Les Bleus' defeated Morocco 2-0 with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. Responding to a question about facing France, De la Fuente said he watched the match against Morocco and saw that the French were the better team, but he affirmed that Spain is currently focused on the match against Belgium. Although Spain has looked superior in defense, they will seek attacking dynamism through 18-year-old Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal, who has already scored four goals in the tournament. Yamal, one of the brightest young talents in the world, has only scored one goal and is far behind the tournament's top scorers: Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé with eight goals each. Nevertheless, De la Fuente emphasized that his player has shown increasing maturity, pointing to his defensive contributions in Spain's victory over Portugal and praising his attacking abilities that can make a difference in decisive moments. The coach explained that Spain's success has been built on collective effort, not individual brilliance, stating that every player puts the team's interest first.