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Spain overwhelmed Saudi Arabia with remarkable intensity on Sunday evening, so much so that by the first hydration break, any thirst for a response had already been satisfied. Lamine Yamal repeatedly tore through the Saudi defence, while every touch from Mikel Oyarzabal seemed to create a scoring opportunity. This Spanish team played with exuberance, pace, and aggression—yet without recklessness. Above all, it felt like the Spain fans knew and loved. What few realised at that moment was that Spain managed all this while under significant external pressure.

Their opening draw against Cabo Verde had surprised everyone and left the Spanish public puzzled. La Roja have long delivered success through fluid movement and inventive play, led by the young talents of Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri Hernandez. When Cabo Verde’s disciplined defending slowed down Spain’s attack—while committing only one foul—the Spanish supporters were left uneasy but not angry, sharing the same frustration as the players themselves.

(Image courtesy RFEF) Lamine Yamal celebrates his opening goal.

It shows the faith in this Spanish side that the reaction was not hysteria, but rather mild disappointment at the performance. Diario AS declared “Upset”, while Sport warned “Red Alert”, and Mundo Deportivo lamented with “What a Comedown.” Marca opted for a more dramatic “Historic Disappointment,” but the harshest criticism came from Germany’s BILD, which sneered, “A Group of Islands Embarrass Spain.” Beneath the headlines, however, and beyond the nightly talk show debates, there was a mature perspective emerging.

The general consensus was that Luis de la Fuente’s team had struggled to move the ball quickly enough, and his decision to start Gavi hadn’t fully convinced. The expected solution was to bring Lamine Yamal back into the starting lineup and move Pedri deeper into midfield—adjustments that would likely correct many of the problems seen in Atlanta. “A wake-up call is never a bad thing, quite the opposite,” former Spain manager Jose Antonio Camacho remarked on Cadena SER. These were all changes de la Fuente had made before, and indeed he implemented them against Saudi Arabia, addressing the very issue he and his players had identified—the tempo.

(Image courtesy RFEF) Spain celebrate their fourth goal against Saudi Arabia.

“It’s normal that they were annoyed or frustrated. Nobody enjoys having their professionalism or effort questioned. This reaction is only natural, but it’s not different from what we’ve done before,” de la Fuente stated pointedly after their emphatic 4-0 win. “We wanted to make a statement, to assert ourselves.”

Before that match, Lamine Yamal had already shown a touch of sharpness before dismantling the Saudi left flank. “You all want to jump to conclusions. Now suddenly Spain is terrible. But those who really understand football know that’s not true,” he said after days of intense scrutiny at Spain’s base camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “We’re calm, even with all the noise outside,” added Alex Baena, Gavi’s more natural alternative on the left, speaking confidently after the team’s dominant display.

Spain’s style of football is expansive, fluid, and at times seems capable of tearing through any opponent in the world. Their squad overflows with talent and belief, backed by an impressive streak of 33 matches without defeat—a point de la Fuente is quick to highlight. For that reason, the supposed “siege mentality” appears a bit unconvincing, perhaps even misplaced. Spain are, after all, among the favourites to win the World Cup, and few teams have won over as many neutral supporters.

If this de la Fuente-led side were more like the old La Furia Roja—the Red Fury—known for fiery, combative victories, perhaps that narrative would fit better. Yet maybe de la Fuente and his players need a symbolic enemy to conquer. Before Euro 2024, few expected the 63-year-old coach and his youthful team to triumph.

Who could forget Adrien Rabiot’s strange challenge to Lamine Yamal before the Euro 2024 semi-final? Four years after the release of The Last Dance, Michael Jordan’s competitive spirit seemed to echo through Yamal’s stunning equaliser. Before that, the Spanish players had rallied behind captain Alvaro Morata, a man constantly questioned, until he lifted the trophy high above his head.

“No one is immune to criticism,” a calmer de la Fuente reflected later at his press conference, the message already delivered. “Their pride was hurt, their self-image shaken. They can still play better, but those comments they receive push them, and that’s good.” Just as Michael Jordan was known for turning slights into motivation, Spain’s coach hopes that this manufactured defiance might inspire a similar drive within his squad.