Spain march into their World Cup last 32 clash against Austria at the SoFi Stadium tonight on the back of an unbeaten run of 34 matches, a defence yet to be breached and an old question still nagging away – what happens when all that possession runs into a locked door?

"We're continuing to grow under pressure; I love that high expectations are placed on us," Spain coach Luis de la Fuente declared ahead of their Round of 32 encounter with Austria on Friday.

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente said his side had silenced their doubters after Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal inspired a 4-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Much was expected of Spain against the tournament debutants, but De la Fuente's team were unable to find a way past the African side, and need a statement win in Sunday's Group H game with the Saudis to restore some faith.

It was as if the Spanish Armada had descended upon Atlanta Stadium on Monday, where reigning European champions Spain took on World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their Group H opener widely billed as one of the biggest mismatches of the tournament.

Spain begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign tonight in Group H against debutants Cape Verde in Atlanta, arriving as heavy favourites.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente remains optimistic that forwards Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams will be fit for their World Cup opener despite both players missing the end of the club season with hamstring injuries.

Luis de la Fuente stressed that Spain's badge outranks any club crest on Tuesday after naming a World Cup squad with a distinctly Barcelona hue and, for the first time, no Real Madrid player in sight.

Lamine Yamal is the star name in Spain's squad for the 2026 World Cup named by coach Luis de la Fuente on Monday, which also included Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino after his recent return from injury.

Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears as Portugal picked up their second Nations League title by beating holders Spain 5-3 on penalties following a thrilling 2-2 draw in Sunday's final.

Speaking on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s showdown at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, De la Fuente hailed the depth of Spain’s footballing pipeline, calling it “inexhaustible.”

"It's been completely normal for us. He is following his precepts, his rules, as he is following them at his club (Barcelona)," De la Fuente said during a press conference ahead of Spain's first-leg tie in Rotterdam.

Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio has earned his first call-up from Spain manager Luis de la Fuente on Friday for their two-leg Nations League quarterfinal against the Netherlands.

Spain's Euro 2024 winning coach Luis de la Fuente extended his contract on Monday until 2028, the Spanish football federation said in a statement.

In the latest episode of The Daily Star’s podcast Pitch Perfect, we bring you an in-depth discussion about the key battles that may shift the balance in the grand finale of the tournament. 

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called on a "brilliant" generation of players to make history for their country in the Euro 2024 final against England on Sunday.

Despite early jitters, including a 2-0 defeat by Scotland last year, Spain stuck with their little-known coach and are now reaping the rewards.

With five Euros titles between them, Spain and France face off in Tuesday's semi-finals in Munich hoping to extend their respective bids for another triumph.

"His (Mbappe's) level could be slightly lower than his usual level, but 50 percent of Kylian Mbappe could be 100 percent of any other player."

Spain have looked in imperious form in their four straight wins so far at Euro 2024, giving their eagerly anticipated quarterfinal match-up with hosts Germany on Friday the air of a "final before the final".