Luis de la Fuente: Pedri is the Best Midfielder in the World and We Must Stay Humble
Luis de La Fuente Hails Spain’s 6-0 Turkey Drubbing, Calls Pedri the World’s Best Midfielder
Luis de la Fuente, national team coach of Spain, has reported that he is delighted with Spain’s crushing 6-0 win against Turkey in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Spanish coach hailed his wards for their never-say-die spirit, saying they have only gone from strength and strength, gelling well together.
“I am proud of my players and the way they compete for the U.S.A. That's a tribute to how much we've grown as a team. We were not happy with the game last Thursday and we didn’t want to make the same mistakes. “Tonight we showed that Spain is a team that never stops working and never stops improving,” said de la Fuente.
Nico Williams Injury Update
Speaking about Nico Williams’ injury, the coach disclosed: “You see Nico Williams, that’s a fucking shame. He has some adductor pain. We will do tests tomorrow, but it seems to be small muscular pain.”
Morata's Gesture to Rodri
De la Fuente also paid tribute to captain Álvaro Morata for offering the armband to Rodri: “This is a really generous group of boys. Morata raised the standard of his patrónage even higher.”
Mikel Merino and Spain’s Midfield Maestros
That’s according to Toon manager Steve Bruce who praised the form of Mikel Merino, who he described as: “An elite player who just does everything perfect. Unfortunately he is too underrated in Spain. Guys like him are the players who can change football.”
Spain’s Unbeaten Record & Next Goals
With Spain unbeaten now in 27 matches, de la Fuente outlined that there is improvement needed: “We’re already thinking about improving. It is a group with competitive genes and it is never content.”
Pedri: World's Top Midfielder 18-year-old Pedri played like the best midfielder in the world.
Asked on Pedri’s Ballon d’Or prospects, he said: “Pedri is the best in the world in his position. Football has not always been fair on Spaniards — on Iniesta, Xavi, and Xabi Alonso, for example — but Pedri, Merino, Zubimendi and others do.”
De la Fuente closed with a directive to humility, “We need to be humble. We have best players in the world in our team, but their strength is in their teamwork and humanity.”
