Pedro Porro (Don Benito, 9-13-1999) He is the fifth Extremaduran to play in a World Cup. His eyes, his smile, simply explain what he is experiencing. He does so after a very difficult season at Tottenham, in which the threat of relegation to the champions of the Europa League 2024-25 It barely disappeared with the end of the Premier. And after a journey in the national team that has taught him the harsh side of criticism. But there is a motto that, although it is not tattooed on his skin, he carries it deep inside: “Give up, never.”
Ask. The coach told you that he was going to start against Saudi Arabia after a particularly difficult season for you. What did you feel at that moment?
Answer. Above all, happiness and immense pride. Being part of this team from day one is already a source of pride for me, for my family and for all the people who support me. It was a very special moment.
Q. Did you sense that this opportunity could come?
R. You always have to be prepared. As it was also in the first game. You never know when your moment may come and the important thing is to be ready to take advantage of it.
Q. Making your debut as a starter in a World Cup, in a stadium like Atlanta, is not something that happens every day. How did you experience that moment?
.CHEMA KING
R. With peace of mind. I know that many people may think that it is difficult to stay calm in a situation like this, but I am a person who likes to be focused on what I have to do. I prepare for scenarios like that and try to deal with them naturally.
I prepare for scenarios like that and try to face them naturally.
Q. You have had to face some of the most difficult extremes on the international scene. Do you think that sometimes people have been unfair to you?
R. People can think what they want and that is their right. I try to always be focused, both when things go well and when they go wrong. Sometimes it is forgotten that the rivals also play and that there are extraordinary footballers in front of them.
For example, when I made my debut against Kvaratskhelia I was still not at the level I have now, and today he is one of the best wingers in the world. The same goes for Luis Díaz, who I have faced many times in Portugal and in the Premier. Competing against players like that forces you to improve. I don’t pay too much attention to what is said outside; I focus on being prepared when the time comes.
Q. Like the motto he has tattooed.
R. Exactly: “Love the life you have so you can live the life you love.”
Love the life you have so you can live the life you love
Q. Do you work a lot on the mental aspect?
R. Yes. I like to analyze the games, see what I do well and what I can improve, both in defense and attack. I also try to understand what the winger I’m facing needs in each situation. I can’t do it all the time because we play a lot of games, but I dedicate time to it because I know it helps me grow and also help my teammates better.
Q. Are you very self-critical of your performance?
R. Yes. I like to see myself and analyze myself. There are actions that I don’t do well and I think about them to understand how to improve them. I also try to enhance the things I do well. All of this helps me grow and contribute more to the team.
I like to see myself and analyze myself. There are actions that I don’t do well and I think about them to understand how to improve them.
Q. In a World Cup where there is so much talk about the future, does having your contractual situation resolved allow you to focus exclusively on the tournament?
R. Definitely. My head is only focused on the national team and the World Cup. Before it started I wanted to have everything figured out so as not to be distracted by other matters. I think that also helps you perform better.
Q. Does it give you peace of mind to have signed for five more seasons with Tottenham?
R. Yes. I am very happy. It was a place where I was very comfortable and now I can focus exclusively on what I have to do.
Q. After so many years away, what does today’s Pedro Porro retain about that boy who left Vallecas to pursue a dream?
R. Much remains of that boy who left home at a very young age to pursue his dream. Yes, it is true that I am more mature now, but I like to remember those times because they help me keep my feet on the ground.
,CHEMA REY PHOTO
There is a lot left of that boy who left home very young to pursue his dream
Q. Do you still remember those years of sharing a flat and traveling by bus?
R. Yes, many things. Sergio Benito, Alberto and many other people who helped me get here. I am very grateful to them.
Q. Do you still call your mother as much as you did then?
R. Yes, although now she calls me more. I have taken a backseat because now he wants to see my son. But yes, we still talk a lot.
Q. If you look back, what did Vallecas leave you?
R. Above all, intensity. That passion for football, that desire to get to the stadium every Sunday to cheer on his team. The drive that Vallecas has, both the fans and the club, helped me a lot. I was a kid who loved football and experiencing that left its mark on me.
The drive that Vallecas has, both the fans and the club, helped me a lot. marked me
Q. Do you find any parallels between the Premier and the atmosphere in Vallecas?
R. Not in its dimension, but in the way of living football. In Vallecas you feel a lot. Any Rayo fan can say it. What they have achieved in recent years, such as reaching a European final, speaks very well of them.
Q. To what extent is football a part of your life?
R. Lot. I am a football fan and spend much of the day watching games.
I am a football fan and spend much of the day watching games.
Q. Do you still watch as much football as always?
R. Now a little less for my children, but I still love watching football.
Q. At home do they ever reproach you for being so passionate?
R. No not at all. What happens is that now I am more aware of the children. Football has taken a bit of a backseat, although I still watch it whenever I can.
Q. Beyond the results, what are you enjoying the most about this World Cup?
R. All. Above all the atmosphere we have between us and the family we have formed. There are many concentrated days and the atmosphere is spectacular.
Q. After the initial setback, was there any moment of concern within the locker room?
A. No. We were calm because we trusted the work we had been doing. We have been undefeated for three years and 33 games. Sometimes the ball doesn’t want to go in, but we were still convinced that we were doing things right. Against Arabia, for example, I think we shot six times on goal in the first minutes. These are situations that depend on each match. As a team we have always been calm.
We were calm because we trusted the work we had been doing. We have been undefeated for three years and 33 games.
BASE CAMP OF THE SPANISH NATIONAL TEAM BAYLOR SCHOOL, AFTERNOON TRAINING OF THE NATIONAL TEAMCHEMA REY PHOTO
Q. What match do you expect against Uruguay?
R. A very demanding match. We know that it is a great team, an intense team that is not going to give us anything.
Q. Are you going to order any t-shirts?
R. Bentacu better give it to me!
Q. A curiosity. That thing about Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan that Borja uploaded. Was it real?
R. No. People thought it was real, but it was a meme of a boy with his father that we tried to recreate. Many believed it was something related to basketball. It was a very funny moment.
Q. Before you were talking about the analyzes you make of your rivals. What does a player like Lamine Yamal demand from a full-back?
R. The main thing is to be very focused on what he does. It can appear in many places and generate many different actions. The important thing is to be attentive to defensive work and adapt to what each situation requires. There are tactical details that I am not going to reveal either, but I like to analyze those types of things because they help me improve.
Lamine Yamal can appear in many places and generate many different actions
P. Dani Carvajal has been a reference for many years. What have you learned from him?
R. It is very difficult to copy Dani. For me he is one of the best full-backs in history and an idol. When we got here he sent me a message and I thanked him very much. He is a captain, an example for everyone and a legend of both Real Madrid and the national team. I can’t copy him, but I can learn many things from him.
Carvajal is a captain, an example for everyone and a legend of both Real Madrid and the national team. He sent me a message to wish me luck.
Q. What did he say to you in that message?
R. He wished me the best of luck in my first World Cup. It has always helped me. When he returned from an injury I was the one who was playing and from the first moment he supported me. I only have words of gratitude towards him.
Q. When the time comes to put on your boots and take the field, what goes through your mind?
R. I think of everything. In the difficult moments, in everything it has cost him to get there and in all the good things that have also accompanied him along the way, both in family and in football. Then he tries to let go and do what he does best.
Q. In a career like yours, what role has family played?
R. Fundamental. It is one of the most important parts of my life. My grandfather was a very important figure for me. Also my parents and my grandmother. Without them none of this would have been possible.
With the white shirt, the one from the match against Uruguay.CHEMA REY PHOTO
Q. He is the fifth Extremaduran to play in a World Cup. What does that mean to you?
R. An enormous pride. Yesterday I sent a video to all the people of Extremadura to thank them because I have always felt very supported by them. Also throughout Spain, of course, but especially in my land.
Q. There is always talk about music in this team’s locker room. What do you hear in there?
R. We have a spectacular atmosphere. We know when it’s music and when it’s concentration. There are times for everything and music helps a lot in everyday life.
Q. More specifically, what is playing on the playlist?
R. Of everything. When we are with the physios or at night we listen to more Estopa or Dani Martín. Before training or in the locker room it usually sounds more reggaeton.
Q. If Spain wins the World Cup, will any tattoos fall?
A. I don’t know, whatever you want.
Q. Even Luis de la Fuente’s face?
R. Yes, we could put it somewhere.
Somewhere left for me to get a tattoo of De la Fuente’s face
P. Luis de la Fuente has marked an important part of his career.
R. Lot. Not only now, but also since the U-21. I have been working with him for many years and he has always given me a lot of confidence. I remember that when I arrived I was much younger than many of the colleagues there. From the beginning he bet on me and I will always be grateful.
Q. There is a phrase that frequently appears on your social networks: “Never give up.”
R. Yes, never give up. It identifies me quite a bit because in football we often have to live like this. Especially last year. There are times when you have to continue working every day, maintain the routine and find a way to change a negative dynamic.
It was a tough year, but I also think that when you come out of a situation like that you become a stronger player. I am convinced that both my teammates, the club and I have emerged stronger from that.
When you come out of a situation like the one we have experienced at Tottenham this season you become a stronger player
Q. There were those who thought, and here is one, that Tottenham were going down.
R. I never saw it like that. My mentality was to get through it no matter what. Every day I went to training thinking about helping the club get out of that situation because I felt it was my responsibility.
I thought just the opposite. That’s why I say that what people think is secondary. In the end, the one who works and lives with the situation is oneself. There will always be those who think well or badly of you. I prefer to stay with the people who love me.
