NEW YORK (AP) — Spain reaching the World Cup final is still something of a novelty, given this is just the second time the country has gotten this far. Rodri sees it as the culmination of years building to this point. Winning the Nations League in 2023 and the European Championship in 2024 set the foundation for the success the team has achieved over the past several weeks. An even bigger challenge awaits against defending champion Argentina on Sunday, and Spain’s captain wants his teammates to be more eager to win than scared to lose.“We’ve been gradually growing,” Rodri said Friday. “We have to keep doing the same things we’re doing because it has been a process for all five years.”Spain has only allowed one goal through its first seven games, including a 2-0 win over France in the semifinals. Since a stunning opening draw against Cape Verde, La Roja has outscored its opponents 13-1.“Our goal when we got to this World Cup was to win the trophy, and we were convinced that we could achieve this,” Rodri said. “We’ve shown that this national team has been able to defeat great opponents.”
The path to the final included Mikel Merino breaking a tie and scoring late in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. It has also including stifling defense and nine saves from goalkeeper Unai Simón.
