Luis de la Fuente Defends Rodri After Spain's Draw with Cape Verde

Luis de la Fuente did not tiptoe around the question. He bristled.

In the wake of Spain’s flat 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their 2026 World Cup opener, fingers quickly pointed at Rodri, the metronome of both Manchester City and La Roja. The accusation was blunt: his presence slows Spain down, drags at their transitions, blunts their edge.

De la Fuente’s response was even blunter.

“Highly insulting” criticism

Speaking to El Partidazo de Cope, the Spain coach dismissed the idea that Rodri is holding the team back and turned his fire on those driving the narrative.

“Good heavens, please. For you to say things like this,” he said, incredulous at the line of questioning. “Some people can say one thing or another, but in any case, I find it highly insulting to say that about the best player in the world.”

No caveats. No soft landing. For De la Fuente, there is no debate over Rodri’s standing or his value to Spain’s system.

“Rodrigo is the best player in the world, and even at 50% he's much better than most midfielders in the world. Even at 50%,” he insisted.

The draw with Cape Verde has already stirred unease around Spain’s attacking sharpness, but De la Fuente refused to let that unease be pinned on his anchor in midfield. Where some see a brake, he sees the engine room.

Rodri as Spain’s “guiding light”

The coach went further, sketching out exactly why Rodri remains untouchable in his plans.

“With us, he's a player of exceptional importance, with fantastic clarity and vision, balance. Rodrigo is a guiding light for us.”

In De la Fuente’s eyes, Rodri is not the reason Spain struggled to break down Cape Verde; he is the structure that allows everything else to function. The balance, the tempo, the angles of possession – all of it, he suggests, flows through the City midfielder.

The criticism, then, is not just tactical disagreement. To De la Fuente, it is a fundamental misreading of what his team is trying to be.

“Would they dare say that?”

The Spain boss also widened the lens, arguing that Spanish players absorb a level of scrutiny that their global counterparts often escape.

“Would they dare say that about other players who are also considered among the best in the world? Would they dare? I don't think so,” he said.

The implication is clear: a double standard. De la Fuente believes that what is framed as robust analysis of Spain’s stars would be seen as disrespectful if directed at similarly elite names from elsewhere.

“But since they're Spanish,” he added, “and you can say things about our players that you don't say about others.”

It was a pointed defence, not just of Rodri but of a group he feels is being judged on a harsher scale than the rest of the tournament’s heavyweights.

Spain now move deeper into this World Cup with questions swirling about their cutting edge and rhythm. On one point, though, there is no doubt inside their camp: Rodri will remain at the heart of it, with a coach ready to fight anyone who suggests otherwise.