Luis de la Fuente explains why Barcelona star was saved for the World Cup final | OneFootball

FC Barcelona had eight players in the Spain squad that lifted the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but not all of their stars featured at the tournament.

Joan Garcia was an unused substitute throughout the competition, serving as the third-choice goalkeeper behind Unai Simon and David Raya.

Eric Garcia did not play a single minute before the World Cup final, yet Luis de la Fuente had complete confidence in introducing the Barcelona defender in the biggest match of the tournament.

As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, the Spain coach has now explained why he brought Eric on during extra time against Argentina, insisting that the defender was fully prepared despite spending the earlier rounds on the bench.

Eric replaced Aymeric Laporte early in extra time and helped Spain close out their historic World Cup triumph.

De la Fuente revealed that Eric’s lack of minutes had nothing to do with a lack of trust. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

He said:

“With Eric Garcia, what can I say? He’s a fantastic footballer.”

De la Fuente explained that both Eric and Martin Zubimendi had been training at a very high level and that it was a shame they had to wait until the final for an opportunity.

Eric’s call-up was itself a reward for an outstanding campaign with Barcelona. After not featuring for Spain since the 2022 World Cup, the versatile defender forced his way back into the squad.

After coming on in the final, he did not put a foot wrong and picked up where Laporte had left off.

Eric keeps proving his value

Eric’s World Cup story perfectly reflects why Flick values him so highly at Barcelona.

Whether at centre-back, right-back or in midfield, he has developed into one of the squad’s most dependable players because he understands the game and adapts quickly to different tactical roles.

His performance in the final also demonstrated an important quality that cannot be measured by statistics: mental strength. Sitting out six matches before stepping into the pressure of a World Cup final is not easy, yet Eric looked composed from his first touch.