Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has urged his players to embrace the occasion rather than be overwhelmed by it as they prepare for their World Cup semi-final against France.

La Roja will be aiming to secure their place in the World Cup final when they face France in the semi-finals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The winner of this match will face the semi-final winner in the match between England and Argentina.

De la Fuente believes La Roja must strike the right balance between handling the responsibility of representing their nation and enjoying the moment as they chase a place in the World Cup final.

“Playing in the World Cup semi-final – after all the World Cups I’ve watched on the telly – now we’re the ones in the spotlight,” De la Fuente told FIFa.

“We’ve never shirked the responsibility that this entails. We’ve always played with that responsibility and we know what we represent, but we’ve also enjoyed something as wonderful and important as playing football on these stages.

“It’s a question of striking a balance, but we mustn’t let the responsibility make us nervous.”