Spain’s Jorge Vilda on preparing for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 - FIFA Training Centre

Jorge Vilda, the Spanish Women’s National Team Head Coach and Director of Football, talks about how he is approaching the final few weeks before the tournament begins.

00:06
Preparation and evolution since last FIFA World Cup
Vilda points out his staff and team have been waiting a long time for this moment and on a mental level the aim is to enter the competition with as little pressure and as little stress as possible. Vilda’s team have just over a month to prepare for the tournament; they will spend half of this time in Spain and the other half in New Zealand. One of the key objectives during preparation will be optimising the squad’s fitness. The Spain Head Coach also points out how his team has evolved since the World Cup in France four years ago, explaining that this time if they face a team with big stars they will look them in the eye, compete and believe they can win.

02:23
Succeeding in knockout tournaments and their benefits for talent development
Mindset is everything. Vilda recounts the pressure and expectation that burdened his team in the past FIFA Women’s World Cup edition. This time, he and his team have tried to manage the collective mindset going into the first group match. Because the participants are so evenly matched, games in these types of competitions come down to fine margins. Experience and defensive solidity are the two traits Vilda believes teams must possess to emerge victorious in such closely fought contests. The Spanish Women’s National Team Head Coach finishes by commenting on the benefits international tournaments have on talent development: young players get experience playing on the world stage and the best players get to play against the best.

Last time we admired teams too much. This time we will look them in the eye, compete and say: "We can beat them."

Jorge Vilda on how his team have evolved since the last World Cup