Spain international Marc Cucurella revealed a new tattoo of coach Luis de la Fuente on his arm on Tuesday, keeping a promise he made before the country's World Cup win.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS following Spain's World Cup triumph, the 65-year-old coach reflected on the tactical identity that carried his side to a flawless tournament, while also reiterating the values that have shaped one of the most successful international teams in recent years.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has condemned the clashes that erupted after his side's World Cup final victory over Argentina, describing the behaviour of some Argentine players as "intolerable" and "unacceptable."

When Luis de la Fuente was appointed Spain's head coach on December 8, 2022, four days after Luis Enrique stepped down following the World Cup round-of-16 penalty shootout defeat to Morocco, the decision puzzled many.

Argentina face a stark choice from here on: modernise their system to match the demands of the modern game, or wander straight back into the wilderness for another quarter-century of soul-searching.

The seeds of institutional continuity have grown into a towering success.

Two of the most contrasting scenes of the FIFA World Cup unfolded within the space of just 24 hours.

Cucurella said earlier this week that he would tattoo the coach's face on his body if Spain lifted the trophy.

Spain went all the way round the footballing wheel on Sunday, from silk to sludge, from purity to persistence, and still ended up exactly where they wanted to be -- World Cup champions, with the ball at their feet and belief in their bones.

"I feel especially proud of this generation of footballers who have grown with this idea... giving us an example of a group, of a family," an emotional Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.

Spain produced a dominant display to beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final and reclaim the title they last won in 2010 at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Monday.

Long before Lionel Messi became a global icon, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente had already experienced first-hand how quickly the diminutive forward could turn a game on its head.

The stakes could not be higher than they are at a World Cup final. And the grand finale at the New York-New Jersey Stadium on Monday (1:00am Bangladesh Time) could hardly have been scripted better, with Lionel Messi's Argentina taking on Lamine Yamal's Spain in a showdown set to bring the curtain down on the biggest edition in the competition's history.

Beyond Spain’s 2-0 victory over France in the World Cup semifinal in Dallas lay a far more compelling story than the scoreline itself -- one of a tactical masterclass from Luis de la Fuente that Didier Deschamps never truly recognised, let alone countered.

A second star has never been so within touching distance for La Furia Roja.

Spain suffocated France deep in the heart of Texas on Tuesday, powering into their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010 with a spellbinding 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente saluted his players as the "best team in the world" on Wednesday after a stunning 2-0 World Cup semifinal win over France.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his team plan to go on the "front foot" against World Cup favourites France when they face off in a heavyweight semi-final showdown on Tuesday.

What do you need to turn fortunes around in a tournament?

"For me, Lamine has played one of the most important matches of his life," de la Fuente said. "Beyond whether he was brilliant or not, for me it has been one of the matches that will help him grow the most."