Victor Munoz says playing at the World Cup while struggling with an injury helped him understand his body and mature as a footballer, despite never reaching full fitness during the tournament.
The Spain forward was called up at the last minute after an excellent season, but his recovery was incomplete and he did not play in the competition. Spain went on to win the World Cup, an achievement he described as an unforgettable experience shared with team-mates he considers “like family”.
“It was definitely a mix of emotions,” Munoz said at a Spain training-camp news conference. “Simply participating in the World Cup was a dream, and winning the championship was incredible.”
He admitted the tournament also brought difficult moments. After an intense club campaign, he found that his body had “hit a wall”, leaving him unable to recover in time for some matches and preventing him from being at 100%.
However, Munoz believes the experience ultimately benefited him.
“When you’re young, you often don’t have this awareness and think you’re invincible,” he said. “This experience has really helped me mature.”
The player added that sharing the tournament and Spain’s triumph with his family and friends was something he would always treasure, with the joy of lifting the trophy remaining the strongest memory.
Munoz, who recently left Osasuna to join Liverpool, has since made his official debut for Spain in the Nations League. He said representing his country on Spanish soil was unforgettable and that the physical difficulties he faced at the World Cup came back to him during the occasion.
He also came off the bench a few days ago in Spain’s match against Croatia, having been unable to make an appearance at the World Cup.
“It feels great,” Munoz said of his return to international football. “Playing alongside these players is smooth and natural.” He added that the quality of his team-mates had improved his own game and that he was eager for more minutes.
Asked how he intended to win a starting place in a squad containing several high-profile players, Munoz said he was working hard every day in training and focusing on improving his weaknesses.
He also played down discussion about where the 2030 World Cup final might be held. Hosting the match in Spain would be “a unique experience”, he said, but added that the tournament was still a long way off and that Spain’s immediate focus was the next match against the Czech Republic.
Munoz declined to criticise the Nations League schedule, despite concerns from coaches including Luis de la Fuente about four matches in 10 days. He acknowledged that the programme was “very congested” after a demanding run of club fixtures, but said the matter was outside his control.
He said GPS analysis remained valuable, helping players identify areas to improve after each match, although it had not revealed anything particularly surprising about his own performance.