Tottenham Hotspur's international contingent have been in the spotlight during the latest break, with a key defender enhancing his reputation on the global stage while another received a public warning from his national team manager.
Pedro Porro's Pivotal Role in Spain's Charge
European champions Spain took a significant stride towards securing their place at next year's World Cup with a comprehensive 4-0 victory away at Georgia. This result maintains their flawless qualifying campaign, having won all five of their matches, scoring 19 goals without conceding a single one.
Luis de la Fuente's in-form side now sits three points clear of rivals Turkey with just one match remaining, putting them in pole position to qualify for the tournament in North America.
Tottenham's £39.7 million right-back, Pedro Porro, was instrumental once again, earning his 15th cap for Spain. Porro, who has started every match in this qualification cycle, played the first 45 minutes before being strategically substituted ahead of Spain's crucial final match against Turkey.
Media Praise and World Cup Prospects
Despite his early exit, Porro's performance did not go unnoticed. Football Espana awarded him a solid 7/10 match rating, noting that the defender "continues to impress at right-back." His substitution was reported as a tactical move, with the decisive showdown against Türkiye in mind.
Since his omission from the Euro 2024 squad, Porro has become a near ever-present for La Roja. His relentless energy and attacking instincts, traits highly valued at Tottenham, have cemented his status as the probable first-choice starter for the World Cup, assuming Spain navigates their final qualifier.
The qualification scenario is now straightforward for Spain: they will confirm their place in North America unless they suffer a catastrophic defeat to Turkey by seven or more goals in their final game in Sevilla.
Tuchel's Firm Message to Djed Spence
While Porro enjoyed a positive international outing, the news was less encouraging for his Tottenham teammate, Djed Spence. England manager Thomas Tuchel publicly criticised the defender for his behaviour following a recent club incident.
Tuchel expressed his displeasure regarding Spence's conduct after he ignored Thomas Frank during Tottenham's defeat to Chelsea last month. The England boss told Mail Sport, "Yeah I didn't like it. Because the players know they are not only national team players when they are in the 10 days in camp, they are always national players and the standard of behaviour is always important."
Despite his disapproval, Tuchel confirmed he never considered dropping Spence from the current squad and has not directly addressed the issue with the player in person. Spence, who has three England caps and was part of Tottenham's Europa League-winning side last season, remained on the bench during England's victory over Serbia.
He will have one final opportunity to impress before the World Cup when England face Albania away in their last qualification match.
