Spain 2026 World Cup lessons for USMNT, England and Brazil
CBS Sports says Spain’s title under Luis de la Fuente offers a blunt selection lesson for USMNT, England and Brazil: chemistry beat star power.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The Spain 2026 World Cup lessons are already being aimed at the usual heavyweights and hopefuls after La Roja added a second world title to a golden run that CBS Sports’ Francesco Porzio traced back to 2008.
According to Porzio, Luis de la Fuente’s side were hardly gate-crashers. Spain won Euro 2024, then followed it by lifting the 2026 World Cup, extending a stretch that includes European titles in 2008, 2012 and 2024, the 2010 World Cup and a Euro 2020 semifinal run under Luis Enrique.
Porzio’s central point is sharp: Spain’s latest triumph came from tactical chemistry, continuity and trust in roles, rather than picking the biggest names and hoping the pieces clicked.
What can USMNT learn from Spain?
CBS Sports framed the USMNT comparison as a reality check. Spain now have two World Cups and three European Championships since 2008, while the U.S. men’s national team have two knockout-round wins in their history, according to Porzio.
The lesson, in that view, is less about matching Spain’s trophy case and more about copying the patience behind it. Porzio wrote that the USMNT have celebrated individual players such as Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie without yet building a durable team identity around them.
He pointed to Mauricio Pochettino’s group showing a flash of what that might look like in a 4-1 win over Paraguay in the opener, a performance CBS Sports described as a surprise because the U.S. controlled the ball, chances and rhythm in a way it had not consistently shown before.
Porzio also stressed the scale of the development gap. Spain’s model has been fed by youth academies and infrastructure, including Barcelona’s La Masia, while the U.S. faces obstacles such as soccer’s lower cultural status compared with other sports, the pay-to-play model and the challenge of developing players across a country as large as the United States.
Why did Spain trust Luis de la Fuente?
De la Fuente was not a global name when the Spanish Football Federation promoted him after Luis Enrique returned to club management in 2021, CBS Sports noted. His edge was his time with Spain’s youth national teams, where he built close knowledge of the country’s rising players.
That background shaped the senior side. Porzio wrote that De la Fuente valued players who fit his system and understood each other, even when that meant choosing less glamorous options over more famous club names.
What can England and Brazil learn from Spain?
For England, CBS Sports highlighted Spain’s goalkeeper choice as the cleanest example of De la Fuente’s discipline. Unai Simon stayed Spain’s No. 1 despite David Raya’s standing as Arsenal’s starter and one of the Premier League’s standout keepers, and Simon later won the 2026 World Cup Golden Glove, according to Porzio.
Porzio also linked that idea to England under Thomas Tuchel, writing that Tuchel showed a willingness to make unpopular calls by leaving out Cole Palmer and Phil Foden in favor of what he believed better served the group.
Brazil were cast as the contrast. CBS Sports wrote that Carlo Ancelotti included Neymar Jr. despite recent form while leaving out Joao Pedro, who had impressed with Chelsea, a choice Porzio described as favoring experience and star power over form and tactical fit.
Spain’s broader message, as Porzio put it, is that tournament teams need defined roles and a coherent group. With Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup ahead, CBS Sports argued La Roja have given rivals a blueprint that looks annoyingly simple and brutally hard to copy.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.