Aitor Karanka discussed Spain's performance at the World Cup at the Portugal Football Summit, saying that several Spanish players deserve the Ballon d'Or.

Karanka, Technical Director of Men's Football Development at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and head of the senior national team, reflected on Spain's success at the 2026 World Cup in his speech titled "Building a World Cup Champion: Spain's Winning Model." He also discussed his journey, joining the RFEF in the summer of 2025. Karanka mentioned his previous roles as a player, coach, and assistant to Mourinho at Real Madrid, before taking on positions as head coach, and currently working for the RFEF. He said: "Now, with Spain, I've come full circle."

Regarding his current role, Karanka stated: "My daily work is very diverse, but the most important thing is ensuring that the head coach, coaching staff, and players face no obstacles. I also maintain contact with the clubs whose players are called up to the national team."

On the development of Spain's national teams at all levels, Karanka remarked: "We have exceptionally talented players at every age level. The senior team won the World Cup, the U21 team was unbeaten in a year, the U19 team won the World Cup, and the U17 team will participate in the World Cup this year. Spanish players understand the game; almost everyone has a coach in their head. This talent and development is shown on the pitch." The original text then mentioned the increasing number of Spanish players moving abroad in recent years, but details regarding the diversity of national team clubs were incomplete.

Karanka believes that winning the World Cup requires everything to go smoothly. He stated: "When you're in there, any mistake or problem can lead to failure, or even worse consequences. Our path to victory has gone smoothly, built on the talent of the players and the excellent atmosphere within the national team." He also discussed the difficulty of Spain winning the European Championship again, noting that the team has outstanding players, and the head coach and coaching staff have been committed to the RFEF for 13, 14, or even 15 years, which is a considerable advantage.

Regarding potential Ballon d'Or candidates, Karanka said: "Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz… Spain has many options. Current Spanish football is something to celebrate. These players possess not only quality and talent on the pitch but are also outstanding young men off it. Therefore, I hope the Ballon d'Or winner is Spanish, because I believe many deserve this award."

Karanka also spoke about Mourinho. He stated: "Real Madrid hasn't won any titles in two years. Real Madrid is the most demanding club in the world, and if anyone can achieve perfection, it's Mourinho. A difficult start is normal. Barcelona, under Flick, has performed well in three consecutive seasons. Mourinho has the ability to maximize the potential of his players. Florentino Pérez has been Real Madrid's president for many years and achieved great success. Based on my knowledge of both of them, if Florentino brings Mourinho back, I believe they will have a good relationship and work together at Real Madrid for a long time."

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