Spain Coach Backs Raya and Goalkeeper Depth After Serbia Win

Spain's national team coach Luis de la Fuente expressed strong confidence in his goalkeepers on Friday, defending Arsenal's David Raya amid questions about the team's first-choice option ahead of the 2026 World Cup, following a 3-0 friendly victory over Serbia in Villarreal.

De la Fuente, speaking to reporters after the match, highlighted the depth in Spain's goalkeeping ranks, which includes Raya, Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon, Barcelona's Joan Garcia, and Real Sociedad's Alex Remiro. Simon started and played the full 90 minutes against Serbia, keeping a clean sheet as goals from Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Nico Williams secured the win. Raya and Remiro remained unused substitutes, while Garcia was not in the squad.

The coach questioned the limited discussion in Spain about Raya, who has earned praise in England for his performances with Arsenal, where the 30-year-old has been instrumental in the team's position at the top of the Premier League. Raya has 11 caps for Spain but has not featured since a UEFA Nations League match against Denmark in November 2024. "In England, they consider him the best goalkeeper in the world, and here nobody talks about him," de la Fuente...