Based in the USA since 2019, basketball player Santi Aldama was not about to miss the chance to watch at the .
The Memphis Grizzlies power forward made the most of his time in Atlanta. He visited Spain’s official training session before their second group-stage fixture and then joined fans to watch Luis de la Fuente’s side claim a 4-0 win to move top of Group H.
Wearing a personalised Spain shirt with the number 7 and his surname on the back, Aldama spoke exclusively with FIFA about his experience in Atlanta.
Santi Aldama: I’m trying to watch as many matches as possible, and the kick-off times have worked out really well for me. During the season, the time difference can be challenging, but right now the timing is perfect. I’m looking forward to enjoying more of it.
It was the first match I’ve watched at this edition and the first time I’ve seen a World Cup match in person, so I was really thrilled to be there. I’d been here before for a concert – it’s an incredible stadium. The atmosphere was electric.
They’re tournaments of the very highest level. There’s no such thing as an easy match; every team competes to the best of their ability. But we’ve got a really good group of players, so it’s about letting them compete, develop and show their quality.
Whenever Spain come here, or whenever there’s a fellow Spaniard competing, I do my best to support them. The truth is that our national team have plenty of fans here in the United States because we’re such an exciting side to watch. I think this is a group of players people can really get behind – Spaniards, of course, but plenty of others too – because they’re such an entertaining team.
As always, I’m going to support a fellow Canarian, but Pedri genuinely looks like an excellent player. I’ve always followed him closely, and it’s a real source of pride for me to watch him play for both Barcelona and Spain.
What I like is the level of competitiveness: every match matters and all the teams are giving it their all. When we’re training in the gym, we have the matches on, so you can watch them while lifting weights. I’m trying to watch as much as I can because every team has players out there representing their country and putting everything on the line.
They have a great squad, the fans are behind them and playing at home always gives you an extra boost. We joke about it a bit among team-mates, but the truth is they have plenty to shout about after winning both their matches so far.
It’s hard for me not to see Spain as one of the favourites. We’re aiming to go all the way, but we have to take it match by match. It may sound like a cliché, but that’s the nature of the World Cup – every match counts.
Sources: FIFA Official
