Manchester City midfielder Rodri is confident Spain can reclaim their place at the summit of world football this summer, insisting La Roja have the quality, experience, and determination to conquer the world once again.
Luis de la Fuente’s side triumph at UEFA EURO 2024 has fueled growing expectations that La Roja can replicate that success on the global stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Rodri Targets World Cup Glory
Spain lifted the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2010, and Rodri believes La Roja have what it takes to repeat that achievement at the upcoming tournament.
“I’d be hard-pressed to say we could go further, because I honestly believe they were the greatest generation of all time. No other team have managed to lift the [UEFA] European Championship crown twice and a World Cup,” the Manchester City star told FIFA.com.
” We obviously try to avoid comparisons being drawn with that generation. I think the current team are following our own path, and I reckon we’ve been doing a good job of things for quite some time now. We’ve won the [UEFA] Nations League and a European Championship, and we’re about to face the biggest challenge of all, which is to win a World Cup.
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“Needless to say, we’ve put in a lot of work over the last few years to ensure we head into the tournament in the best possible shape and to foster that winning mentality in order to give us a chance of going all the way, which is our objective. I think this group of players is ready to take that step. If we manage to win this World Cup, then we’d obviously etch our names into a special place in the history books.”
La Roja Fear No Foe
Rodri also discussed the strength of the current Spanish side.
“What would you say are the team’s strengths?
It’s quite simple. As I always say, I think this side run as if we were minnows and play like heavyweights,” added Rodri.
” I believe that’s the identity that Luis [de la Fuente] has instilled in us since he came in: being humble, making sure we cover more ground than our opponents, understanding just how tough things are and always being ready for any eventuality.
“Regardless of who takes to the pitch, I think we’re a group of lads who, above all, are keen to learn and ready to listen. In terms of the impression we leave on anyone who watches us, apart from playing a very attractive brand of football, I believe we always display a very clear and visible sense of togetherness. I think that’s the route to achieving great things.”
By Adeboye Amosu
