Luis de la Fuente praises Joan García and sees Lamine with options for the Ballon d'Or

A new international break is approaching and Luis de la Fuente is already preparing the call-up for La Roja for the matches against Bulgaria and Turkey for the European Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The coach spoke on 'Onda Cero' about Joan García and Lamine Yamal.

"Hopefully we can win the World Cup, we are already focused on it; we all visualize a good World Cup. There are possibilities to win, we are going to put everything on our part", visualizes the native of Haro, who longs to be the coach to give Spain its second world championship.

The coach made it clear that he does not look at the club of origin of the players. He was asked about Joan García, who has been goalkeeper of the under-21s and has arrived at Barça for this summer.

“I don't look at the club of origin of the player (...) Whoever we believe should come will come to the national team (...) We have six Spanish goalkeepers who are among the ten best in the world. We are certain that with those we are going to bring, we are going to get it right”

Joan García saved Barça €5M by not being in the Nations League

Joan García's release clause at RCD Espanyol had a particular condition. If the goalkeeper was called up for the June FIFA date, the value of his card would increase to 30 million euros.

As he was not taken into account by Luis de la Fuente for the Nations League, his price remained at 25 million euros, an amount that the blaugrana club transferred to the perico team. A decision, this last one, striking on the part of De la Fuente, considering that the one from Sallent was the best goalkeeper of the past League.

García already made his official debut with Barça on August 16 against Mallorca at Son Moix and is awaiting a new call-up in the matches that will be played in September.

De La Fuente: “Lamine Yamal is a footballer who is going to make history”

The Ballon d'Or will be awarded on September 22 and Lamine Yamal is one of the Barça players who are nominated, along with Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri. Luis de la Fuente has been asked for his opinion on the current situation of the culé '10' and his nomination for the trophy awarded by 'France Football'.

“He is going to make history. We must give him tranquility, prudence, train him as a person, before as a footballer. We must help him as we do all young people. When I changed him in the Nations League final, he was not disrespectful to me, never, in another case I would reproach him”, he commented on the azulgrana '10'.

In the next few hours, de la Fuente will announce the chosen ones for this next FIFA date. Barça is waiting to know which members of its squad will have to concentrate in the Spanish National Team.

Unless there is a surprise, along with Lamine and Joan, it is very likely that Pedri, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo and Pau Cubarsí will travel. In September, La Roja will visit Bulgaria and Turkey for the start of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.