All posts tagged: Luis de la Fuente Spain

Argentina’s unwanted record vs Spain in World Cup final

Argentina’s unwanted record vs Spain in World Cup final

Published by Webster

2 min readJul 20, 2026 03:14 AM IST Argentina became the first side to fail to register a single shot in 90 minutes in a FIFA World Cup final when they were utterly dominated by Spain on Sunday. However, they still defended resolutely, taking the match to Extra Time. Argentina’s task was made even tougher when Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the second-half stoppage time after getting his second yellow card, meaning Argentina was down to 10 players. Fernandez was carded for a reckless play that sent Spain defender Pau Cubarsi cartwheeling into the air, and the card came out immediately. Spain took 15 shots in regulation, Argentina none. Spain took nine corners, Argentina one. And somehow, 90-plus minutes of that sort of dominance wasn’t enough. It was the ninth 0-0 score at halftime in the 23 World Cup finals, including the 1950 Uruguay-Brazil match that wasn’t an actual final but decided the champion. The other eight finals, besides Sunday’s, that were 0-0 at the half: Italy vs. Czechoslovakia in 1934; Uruguay vs. Brazil …

FIFA World Cup | How Spain’s de la Fuente outwitted and outclassed France’s Deschamps

FIFA World Cup | How Spain’s de la Fuente outwitted and outclassed France’s Deschamps

Published by Webster

5 min readJul 15, 2026 09:13 PM IST Before Pedro Porro slotted his shot past Mike Maignan, before Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty nestled into the corner, and before Lucas Digne kicked Lamine Yamal inside the box, France had an opportunity. Ousmane Dembele found Kylian Mbappe through on goal. It was the only occasion where the Spanish defence was caught napping — Pedro Porro was approximately 15 metres behind Mbappe. And yet, an incredible recovery run prevented the French captain from scoring. Despite being approximately 15 metres behind, Pedro Porro prevented Kylian Mbappe from scoring from this position. (Zee5 screenshot) This might look like an isolated moment, but the accumulation of many such moments led to Spain’s 2-0 semi-final win over France. The scoreline does not flatter to deceive. The French, blessed with the most intimidating front quartet of this tournament, created 0.48 expected goals. Only three attempts on target — two in injury time. The very French who had scored in all of their last 19 matches. Nullified. Blunted. Here’s a look at how Luis de …

Cucurella-inspired Spain strike the right chords vs Austria

Cucurella-inspired Spain strike the right chords vs Austria

Published by Webster

6 min readNew YorkJul 3, 2026 06:55 AM IST The hair, Marc Cucurella says, is sacred. But he promises he will go bald if Spain lifts the World Cup. But when the moment arrives, the larrikin in him could deny, “Did I say that really?” He had made the promise before. A Barcelona product, as recently as April, he claimed he would rather chop the locks he had been nourishing for over a decade than join Real Madrid. Come May, he signed a 60-million pound contract to join the Spanish powerhouse. “Hair is not essential to my personality, it is my personality,” he told Spanish outlet Marca. The springy curls, girdled by a hairband that is about to burst, is part of what has made him a cult figure in Spain and England, where he played for five years. The full-back, who assisted two goals and saw a goal he scored chalked off in Spain’s dismembering of Austria, is the European champions’ wind-up merchant. The provocateur, his friends call him. When his goal was ruled …