Luis de la Fuente has managed more games across the World Cup and European Championship without defeat than any coach in history. The Spain boss has now overseen 13 matches unbeaten across the two tournaments, winning 12 and drawing one, a run no other manager has matched.
The record stretches back through Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 campaign and has continued into this World Cup, where Spain reached the semi-finals without conceding a goal until their quarter-final win over Belgium. That victory, sealed by a late Mikel Merino strike, extended De la Fuente’s remarkable run and set up a semi-final against France on Tuesday.
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13 – Luis de la Fuente has now managed more games across the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship without ever losing than any other manager (W12 D1).
Unsurpassed. pic.twitter.com/8r4qnL2R12
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 10, 2026
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De la Fuente’s side have become the first Spanish outfit to reach the semi-finals since their World Cup winning campaign 16 years ago in South Africa, having failed to go this far in nearly two decades.
Spain’s defensive solidity under De la Fuente has become the foundation of his side’s success, and this latest milestone underlines just how difficult they have been to beat on the biggest stages in international football.
Photo: Reuters/Kirby Lee
