Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente believes Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi is the second-best midfielder in the world behind Rodri after his side’s 1-0 win over Portugal at the World Cup.
Zubimendi, who was signed by Arsenal in a £60 million deal from Real Sociedad last year, played a key role in the club’s Premier League title success under Mikel Arteta last season.
However, the Arsenal midfielder is yet to make an appearance at the World Cup this summer as he has been left on Spain’s bench for all five of their games so far.
Zubimendi’s Arsenal teammate, Mikel Merino, came on as a substitute to score Spain’s injury-time winner against Portugal on Monday to secure their place in the World Cup quarter-final where they will meet Belgium on Friday.
Speaking after the game, De la Fuente praised his midfield options but conceded that Zubimendi may struggle to get playing time at the World Cup as he described Rodri as Spain’s ‘guiding light’.
‘I already said it, if necessary, I would have gone to pick Mikel up from his house,’ De la Fuente said.
‘He’s a fantastic player for everything he gives us, and I also want to highlight the contribution of the players who come on in the second half, just like in the European Championship, and that shows the great professionalism of everyone.
‘The team continues to grow. Today’s match was exceptional for both sides, with some outstanding moments of football. We are fortunate to have a team that knows how to compete until the very last second.
‘Rodrigo is the guiding light of this team, a player with exceptional vision, which is why he is the best player in the world in his position, and behind him is Martin Zubimendi, who is the second-best player in the world in that position.
‘For me, Lamine played one of the most important matches of his life, one that will help him continue to grow. He worked incredibly hard, he suffered for the team, and Nuno Mendes’ injury was probably because he pushed him to the limit. We need him to keep growing and giving these kinds of performances.’
In a separate interview with TVE, De la Fuente also praised the depth of quality in his Spain squad.
‘The important players are those who come off the bench, who make all the work of their teammates who came before them worthwhile and gave us that energy to finish the game,’ De la Fuente said.
‘We were thinking about giving them a bit of a rhythm to face extra time with the energy needed right after coming onto the pitch. The contribution of those players was masterful. We have 26 players of an extremely high level.’
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