RFEF prioritizes De la Fuente extension through 2030 World Cup

World Champions Look to Secure Their Architect

Crowned world champions, Spain now wants to secure the man who transformed La Roja. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is preparing a new push to extend Luis de la Fuente's contract through the 2030 World Cup.

A Triumph for the Ages

Just hours after securing the second World Cup in its history, Spain reunited with its people to celebrate a triumph that will remain etched in collective memory. In the streets of Madrid, thousands of supporters flooded the avenues to welcome the heroes of Luis de la Fuente, who presented the world trophy at the end of a journey that has definitively changed the perception of this generation.

La Roja — long associated with its golden era around 2010 — has written a new chapter in its history with a team capable of blending technical mastery, carefree youth, and tactical maturity. On the podium set up in the Spanish capital, the players savored a historic moment with their supporters, while Luis de la Fuente emerged as one of the key architects of this renaissance.

The Spanish coach has built a cohesive group around clear ideas and a strong identity, giving a central role to new talents like Lamine Yamal while maintaining an impressive collective balance. After the European title won in 2024, this world triumph confirms that Spain has once again become an absolute reference in international football.

But behind the celebrations and smiles, the Spanish Federation is already thinking about the future — and wants to quickly lock down the man who allowed La Roja to return to the summit.

Contract Talks: From Uncertainty to Priority

Yet, just a few months ago, the situation surrounding Luis de la Fuente was not so clear-cut. Before the start of the World Cup, discussions about a contract extension had experienced several slowdowns.

The Spanish coach, whose current contract runs until Euro 2028, had already largely convinced thanks to his results since taking over the first team. However, his atypical career path had long weighed on negotiations. Promoted from the U-21s — where he had already won titles with various national youth categories — De la Fuente initially signed a contract far from the standards of the world's top coaches.

His Nations League victory and then his European triumph gradually changed his status, but the expected pay raise was not simple to finalize. With national team coaches' salaries rising following the arrival of big names like Carlo Ancelotti, Jürgen Klopp, Zinédine Zidane, and Thomas Tuchel on some national benches, the Spanish Federation also had to acknowledge the new dimension taken by their coach.

Despite these sometimes lengthy discussions, no deep doubt had really existed about the desire of both parties to continue together. The World Cup was mainly meant to serve as a pivotal moment to confirm this trust and open the door to a new phase.

A New Offensive for a Contract Until 2030?

According to information from AS, the Spanish Federation has now made extending Luis de la Fuente one of its top priorities.

Rafael Louzán, president of the RFEF, considers the current coach to be the ideal man to lead the sporting project that should accompany Spain until the 2030 World Cup — a particularly symbolic competition since the country will be one of the tournament's organizers.

For the Spanish leader, it would be logical for the reigning world champion to be the one who prepares the next major milestone for Spanish football and tries to keep La Roja at the top in the coming years. The internal objective would be to reach an agreement to extend De la Fuente's contract by two additional years, taking him to that 2030 World Cup.

Interviewed by AS before the world final, Rafael Louzán had already expressed his desire to meet the coach soon.