NEW YORK : Pedro Porro has established himself as Spain’s first-choice right back with a string of impressive performances at the World Cup, culminating in a goal and a defensive masterclass in Tuesday’s 2-0 semi-final victory over France.
Two years after Marc Cucurella used Euro 2024 to secure Spain’s left-back position, Porro has followed a similar path on the opposite flank under coach Luis de la Fuente.
With Dani Carvajal and Jesus Navas no longer in the squad, the right-back position was one of Spain’s biggest questions heading into the tournament. Marcos Llorente, after an outstanding season with Atletico Madrid, appeared the leading candidate, but De la Fuente opted to rotate between the two before settling on Porro.
The Tottenham Hotspur defender impressed against Saudi Arabia, Austria and Portugal before delivering his finest display against France.
Porro kept France’s dangerous forwards, including Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue, under control before scoring Spain’s second goal to seal victory and earn the semi-final’s Most Valuable Player award.
“I’m very happy with the team’s attitude, from start to finish. Today we did everything we needed to do,” Porro said.
“It’s a dream come true; it’s something I couldn’t even have imagined in my wildest dreams.”
Porro’s emergence mirrors Cucurella’s rise before Euro 2024, when Alejandro Grimaldo had been widely expected to claim Spain’s left-back role before Cucurella seized the opportunity and made the position his own.
Beyond his defensive work, Porro has provided balance on Spain’s right side with his intelligent positioning, timely forward runs and understanding with teenage winger Lamine Yamal.
His performances have also helped erase memories of the error that led to Scotland’s goal in Spain’s 2-0 defeat during Euro 2024 qualifying early in De la Fuente’s tenure.
Against France, Porro delivered arguably the defining performance of his international career.
Tottenham moved to extend the defender’s contract during the tournament despite reported interest from clubs including Manchester City, and Spain will now look to him again when they face Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final.
A strong display in New York could complete Porro’s transformation from contender to undisputed first choice in one of the most demanding positions in the Spain side.
