Baena finds his form: 'Today was a match to compete, not to show off'

Spain's Alex Baena is back in form, scoring the winning goal in a World Cup match against Uruguay and dedicating it to a young fan. Baena's journey has been marked by a significant personal challenge in 2023, following an incident with Fede Valverde that deeply affected him and his family.

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We are the champions of Europe and we are made to reach the final.

Baena revealed that the altercation with Valverde almost caused him to leave football. He stated that the situation impacted his family more than himself, but a call-up from coach Luis de la Fuente marked a turning point. With the support of his family and a psychologist, Baena gradually recovered and regained his form.

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Any child, I think, dreams of scoring a goal with Spain in a World Cup. Very happy, that goal was very special. I wanted to dedicate it to María [a young fan], it was her birthday today. Surely she helped from up there for that ball to go in.

De la Fuente expressed confidence in Baena, describing him as a player with a "special gene and national team character." Baena repaid this trust by scoring the decisive goal against Uruguay, securing Spain's top position in Group H. This victory extended Spain's unbeaten streak to 34 matches without conceding a goal in the group stage.

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Personally, that marked a before and after. It was a moment when I almost quit football because of everything that happened to me. It affected me more because of what my family received than for me, but just when I was going to leave football, Luis (De la Fuente) called me up for the first time and that's when I started to recover little by little.

Despite the win, De la Fuente acknowledged the challenging nature of the match, noting that the opponent played to their strengths. He emphasized the team's ability to adapt and win in different types of games. Teammate Marcos Llorente echoed this sentiment, highlighting the opponent's high stakes and risky play. Baena himself described the game as one for "competing, not showing off."

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There are players who have a special gene and national team character.