Konrad de la Fuente has big dreams, which is what you would expect from a teenager trying to make it at FC Barcelona. His dreams aren’t limited to just making it with one of the best teams in the world though.
De La Fuente has his sights set on the sport’s biggest prize.
The 18-year-old American has visions of a world championship, and while he has yet to make his U.S. Men’s National Team debut, De La Fuente believes he and the USMNT can win a world title.
“My goal with the national team is to win a World Cup,” De La Fuente said in an interview with ESPN. “That’s my personal goal. Everyone has their own and, for me, it’s to win a World Cup. I definitely think it can happen. If we continue to grow in our clubs in Europe, I think we can do something special.”
De La Fuente has yet to debut for the Catalan giants, but has worked his way up to Barcelona B this season, making three appearances and scoring a game-winning goal before earning a call-up to train with the Barcelona first team. He had recorded five goals and two assists in 18 combined appearances with the Under-19 team prior to his promotion to Barcelona B.
The 18-year-old Miami native will have to wait for his senior debut on a Barcelona side that features superstars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Antoine Griezmann leading the attack. Ansu Fati’s positive impact however as a young player should give De La Fuente hope heading into the future.
“You feel like you have to be really, really, really well prepared,” De La Fuente added. “It’s the best team in the world and [Messi’s] the best player in the world — probably ever. Knowing you will be playing with him, you feel like you need to be extra to fit in. That’s the hard part. But I like the challenge, it doesn’t bother me.
“I don’t really feel the pressure. [Making the first team] is something I want to do, so I push myself hard to make it happen. It would be incredible. Everyone back in the States would see that it’s possible. If you actually work hard and are confident in yourself, take your opportunities, you can reach whatever goal you set yourself.”