NBA star Santi Aldama on Spain's World Cup hopes and Pedri

Memphis Grizzlies power forward Santi Aldama, based in the United States since 2019, made the most of his time in Atlanta to watch Spain's second group-stage match against Saudi Arabia at the World Cup. The NBA star attended Spain's official training session before the fixture and then joined fans to see Luis de la Fuente's side claim a 4-0 victory, moving top of Group H.

A first live World Cup experience

Wearing a personalized Spain shirt with the number 7 and his surname on the back, Aldama spoke exclusively with FIFA about his experience. "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," he said. "I'd been here before for a concert – it's an incredible stadium. The atmosphere was electric."

Aldama, who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, noted that the kick-off times have worked well for him. "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," he added.

Spain's quality and fan base in the US

The Canary Islands native expressed strong support for his national team. "Whenever Spain come here, or whenever there's a fellow Spaniard competing, I do my best to support them," Aldama said. "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."

Aldama also highlighted the competitiveness of the tournament. "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."

Admiration for Pedri

When asked about fellow Canarian Pedri, Aldama was full of praise. "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."

Spain's title hopes

Aldama did not shy away from discussing Spain's chances in the tournament. "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."

He also noted the team's strong start. "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."

Aldama, who watches matches while training, said he tries to follow as much as possible. "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."