GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente didn’t hide his admiration for Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa ahead of the nation’s decisive World Cup match on Friday.
The game in Guadalajara is one of the most anticipated of the group stage, with European champion Spain and South American powerhouse Uruguay fighting for first place in Group H. Uruguay will likely face elimination if it loses at Guadalajara Stadium.
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Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa watches his team during a World Cup Group H soccer match against Saudi Arabia in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa reacts during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente instructs his players during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa talks to his players during a hydration break in a World Cup Group H soccer match against Saudi Arabia in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente stands by the touchline during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Saudi Arabia in Atlanta, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
De la Fuente said he knows Bielsa well, having spent time watching him train at Athletic Bilbao in the early 2010s. De la Fuente was in the early stages of his coaching career at the time and spent the time with Bielsa just before he took over the helm of Spain’s youth squads.
“I’m an admirer,” De la Fuente said about Bielsa on Thursday. “I’ve followed his career closely. When he was at Athletic, I spent five or six months going every day to watch his training sessions and I learned a lot. I have all his training sessions recorded. He’s been an innovator in many ways. I’ve been lucky enough to have stayed in contact with him and have private conversations about soccer with him. This is the first time we are going to face each other and it’s an honor and a pleasure for me.”
Bielsa felt he didn’t influence De la Fuente that much, considering the style of soccer played by Spain.
“It seems to me that, with the type of soccer that he achieved with Spain, which is unique, and his entire work there, which is significant, definitely it doesn't reflect my own style,” the 70-year-old Argentine coach said. “It’s a type of soccer a lot more beautiful than what I achieved with my team. The truth is that what he has accomplished with Spain is admirable.”
The 65-year-old De la Fuente said he doesn’t expect to find the same Bielsa that he saw coaching more than a decade ago, acknowledging they all have adapted to the needs of the modern game.
“Marcelo has evolved, like all the coaches,” De la Fuente said. “Back then, he made Athletic play wonderfully well ... but he focused on man-to-man marking over the entire field. Now I don’t think he is so strict with that. His approach is based on knowing well the players that he coaches. That’s his greatest strength, because you can’t implement an idea if you don’t have the players to do it.”
Spain, seeking its second world title, is in good position to advance but only a win will secure first place in the group.
De la Fuente said he already knows which starting lineup he will use Friday, hinting that the good performance in the 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Sunday did “not invite changes.” Spain opened with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde.
He said forwards Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams will likely remain with limited playing time as they returned to the squad later because of injuries.
Uruguay was held by Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde and now only a win against favorite Spain will secure the team a spot in the next round. A draw or a loss will leave Uruguay’s fate dependent on other results.
“It will be like a final, where you must take every detail into consideration and where the attitude to fight for each meter and each ball will be at its maximum,” Bielsa said.
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa watches his team during a World Cup Group H soccer match against Saudi Arabia in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa reacts during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente instructs his players during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa talks to his players during a hydration break in a World Cup Group H soccer match against Saudi Arabia in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente stands by the touchline during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Saudi Arabia in Atlanta, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — The death toll from Venezuela’s catastrophic earthquake has risen to around 235, with at least 4,300 people injured, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado told state media on Thursday.
“Unfortunately we have received around 235 patients who arrive without vital signs or die when they arrive at our health facilities,” Alvarado said.
The number of dead and injured is expected to rise with thousands reported missing.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings Thursday and rescue teams raced to northern areas rocked by a pair of powerful earthquakes that officials say killed at least 188 people and left more than 200 trapped.
More were feared dead from the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck Wednesday evening — among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century and felt throughout the region. Some 1,500 people were injured, thousands were reported missing and buildings were evacuated as far away as Brazil’s Amazon.
In response to the devastation, the U.S. Treasury on Thursday moved to waive some sanctions until Oct. 23 to allow transactions related to earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela that would otherwise be prohibited.
Meanwhile, in cities across northern Venezuela, panicked residents poured into the streets and searched for the missing in the debris.
The injured were pulled out of the rubble covered in dust and blood, among them children and animals. Venezuelan state TV showed dramatic images of rescues, including a woman who was trapped under a cement slab, only a barefoot poking out before crews managed to get her out alive. But few government search teams were scene outside Caracas.
Dayana Delgado, mother of three children, asked where the heavy machinery was that government officials had promised, pointing out that neighbors were the ones digging through the rubble.
“I want to know where my child is, if he’s trapped or in a shelter,” she said of her 8-year-old son who was missing.
One mother sobbed and collapsed in grief as the bodies of her 3- and 10-year-old children were wrapped in blankets and carried away. Others screamed the names of missing loved ones. Some stood in silent shock.
The coastal region of La Guaira — north of the capital, Caracas — suffered some of the heaviest damage and casualties. The country’s main airport is there and was closed due to damage, complicating aid efforts.
Retired schoolteacher Juan Alberto Mendaño climbed through wreckage in La Guaira and past a dead body when he spotted a woman who was trapped and signaling with her hand for help.
“May God rescue her as quickly as possible,” said Mendaño. “When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do.”
Offers to send aid and supplied poured in from around the world, including from the United States, which seized Venezuela's then-president Nicolas Maduro at the beginning of the year in a surprise military operation.
The natural disaster is just the latest challenge for acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after Maduro's capture. Venezuela has been facing economic disarray for more than a decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodríguez represents.
Venezuelan authorities said they were diverting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, which is no stranger to natural disasters; a 1999 mudslide there, considered one of the country’s worst natural disasters, killed thousands.
Rodríguez appealed to businesses Thursday to make heavy construction equipment available for rescue operations.
“We hope to rescue as many living people as possible,” said Rodríguez, who referred to La Guaira as a “disaster zone.”
She said the first rescuers from the Dominican Republic were about to land and more from other countries were expected to arrive in the coming hours.
While Venezuela sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates makes strong earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the first earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2, hit west of Moron on the Caribbean coast, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) west of Caracas. It had a depth of 22 kilometers (about 14 miles). Just a minute later, USGS reported a second 7.5 magnitude earthquake, with a depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) and an epicenter 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Moron.
The one-two punch of the quakes, combined with the shallow seismic movements, amplified the destruction, said Marcos Ferreira, a geophysicist and researcher at the Geological Survey of Brazil.
“It is as if I am screaming and then someone starts screaming, too. That amplifies the vibration and adds to the potential hazard,” Ferreira said.
During the quakes, people ran from swaying buildings. Many were stunned Thursday morning as they saw buildings reduced to skeletons, furniture hanging out of windows and helicopters circling overhead.
In La Guaira, Cristian Carreño stared at his charred apartment building tilting precariously to one side.
“I lost everything,” he said. “There are people still inside, I imagine, that couldn’t get out. It’s incredibly devastating.”
In downtown Caracas, hundreds spent the night huddled in parks, parking lots and other open spaces.
“We were afraid the buildings would collapse on us,” said María Cristina Díaz, a 41-year-old janitor. “My mother, my daughter and I were cold. We didn’t sleep a wink.”
Parts of the capital lost power and cellphone service, Rodríguez said. Subway services were suspended and natural gas was shut off, she said. Classes will also be canceled for several days, and the Ministry of Education said some school buildings would be used as shelters and donation centers.
Families began posting missing-person flyers with photos of loved ones, while others shared handwritten lists of names as they searched for loved ones. Venezuelans living abroad struggled to make contact with relatives.
Shortly after United Nations officials in Venezuela called on the government to lift social media restrictions so people can get potentially life-saving information, Venezuelans in the country were able to access X. The site had been blocked by Maduro since August 2024, in an attempt to suppress the exchange of information among those who rejected his claim of victory in the July presidential election.
Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late Wednesday. She said the government was creating a $200 million reconstruction fund for damaged hospitals and homes.
Leaders from Mexico, Qatar, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Canada vowed to send aid. A number of shipments were already on the way Thursday. Aid included emergency and military personnel, canine and search teams, medical supplies, water purifiers, airplanes and drones.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who spoke to Rodríguez following the quake, said the United States was “immediately” deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources other assistance, though he acknowledged the closure of Venezuela's main airport created logistical challenges.
“We have a whole-of-government response. It’ll be big; it’ll be fast; and it’ll be effective,” Rubio said.
Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press journalists Regina Garcia Cano, Mauricio Savarese, Anna-Catherine Brigida, Danica Coto, Clara Preve, and Alexandra Olson contributed to this report.
A resident stands in a damaged building a day after an earthquake struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Campos)
A man walks over the fallen walls of his home in Moron, near the epicenter of two earthquakes that struck Venezuela the day before, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacinto Oliveros)
Buildings damaged by an earthquake stand in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
Neighbors carry a man rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building the day after earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
An injured woman walks in La Guaira, Venezuela, a day after an earthquake struck the area, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
Damaged buildings stand a day after earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Pablo Arraez)
Neighbors helps a man evacuate his damaged home after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.(AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
A vehicle is trapped in a fissure caused by an earthquake in La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP PhotoJavier Campos)
Residents walk among the rubble of building damaged in earthquakes the previous day in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
Patients lie outside a hospital evacuated after it was damaged in an earthquake in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
People camp on a sports court following an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026 (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Rescue workers search through the rubble after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Campos)
People stay outside their homes after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
People sleep outside their homes following an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026 (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
A boy comforts his mother after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
A man holding a dog cries after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Campos)
Rescue workers search through the rubble after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.(AP Photo/Javier Campos)
Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building after earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Rescue worker carry an injured man after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
