The draw on the evening of 5/12 placed Spain in Group H with Uruguay, Cape Verde, and Saudi Arabia, while Argentina is in Group J with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. If Spain finishes second in Group H and the reigning champions top Group J, or vice versa, they would face each other in the round of 16.

Spain's coach, Luis De La Fuente, and his Argentine counterpart, Lionel Scaloni, shared concerns about an early encounter when they met at the draw ceremony. De La Fuente stated: "I just met Scaloni, and we both acknowledged that if either of us falters in the group stage, we could meet. What we must do is control what we can, which is to top our group. Of course, whatever happens after advancing from the group stage, we will always have to face stronger opponents."

De La Fuente (left) helped Spain defeat Bulgaria 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier on 4/9. *Photo: EFE.*

Before the World Cup, Spain and Argentina could potentially meet in the Intercontinental Super Cup match in March, contested by the champions of the Euro and Copa America. According to coach De La Fuente, a date has not been finalized, but negotiations are progressing well.

According to bookmakers, Spain is the top contender for the World Cup title with odds of 9/2. France and England follow closely with 13/2 each. The next 5 teams are Argentina and Brazil, both at 17/2, Germany at 14/1, Portugal at 16/1, and the Netherlands at 20/1.

Saudi Arabia's coach, Herve Renard, also named Spain as the top contender. However, De La Fuente views such external comments merely as recognition of his nation's footballing standard.

The Spanish coach added: "The group of title contenders also includes other teams. The standard of the World Cup is very high. Praise guarantees nothing, nor does it weaken us. We have a great responsibility and want to achieve something significant at the World Cup. We must play well in the group stage and continue to advance, as the matches will become increasingly difficult."

Regarding their three group stage opponents – Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay – coach De La Fuente assessed them as complex, each with unique characteristics and difficult to overcome. "They are all top teams. Any mistake could lead to a bad result," he added.

Spain will play Cape Verde on 15/6, Saudi Arabia on 21/6, and Uruguay on 26/6. The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams divided into 12 groups. The top two teams from each group and the 8 best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16.

Spain has won the World Cup only once, in 2010. However, in the Euro, they hold a record of 4 titles, with the most recent one secured by De La Fuente's squad in 2024. This year, Spain won 5 matches and drew one in the European World Cup qualifiers, but lost 3-5 to Portugal in a penalty shootout in the Nations League final.

Thanh Quy (Source: AS)