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Ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 clash, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised the "optimism" of young sensation Lamine Yamal, saying the Barcelona star "radiates optimism, confidence and security". Spain, who finished the group stage without conceding a goal for the first time, will continue their quest for their second World Cup title when they take on Austria in a round of 16 clash at 12:30 pm IST on Friday.

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Yamal has scored one goal in three matches for Spain so far in this tournament. Although Spain have not performed at their best, Yamal, who has recovered from a pre-tournament injury, was quoted by ESPN as saying during a radio interview this week, "Once we find our rhythm... we will be almost unbeatable", while also claiming that they are "the only national team that is really expected to play well". Spain started with a shocking goalless draw against Cabo Verde, but a 4–0 win over Saudi Arabia and a 1–0 victory over Uruguay opened the door for them to reach the round of 32.

Coach happy with Yamal's confidence

Fuente said of Yamal during his pre-match press conference, "I think he's an optimistic player, confident in his abilities and his teammates' abilities. We know what our potential is. We know how far we can go. Yamal's words, in their context, sound very positive to me. He radiates optimism, confidence, security, and I like that."

Yamal played just 19 minutes against Cabo Verde, after which he scored an opening goal during 45 minutes on the field against Saudi, but he could not score a goal against Uruguay despite being on the field for 76 minutes.

Will Yamal play the full 90 minutes?

When asked if the superstar striker could play the full 90 minutes, Fuente said, "Lamine can now play everything we ask of him. We are, as always, very careful about the recovery of all the players."

He added, "It's different playing a very demanding, very intense and fast game, where you might only be able to play half an hour, and playing another game that is more relaxed and you can play 70 minutes. Lamine is really good. You see how excited he is to play."

Fitness updates on other players

The coach also gave optimistic fitness updates on wingers Nico Williams and Jeremy Pino, who were injured against Uruguay, and on Victor Munoz, who is yet to play a match in the competition. "Yeremy's recovery has been miraculous," de la Fuente said. He said, "After the match, it was a [कॉलरबोन] It looked like a fracture, but it was not. "With his character and courage, he is completely back to training normally."