De la Fuente oversaw a record-breaking fourth European Championship crown with victory over England last month, and Spain's youthful Olympic side followed up that success in the French capital.
Sergio Camello came off the bench to score twice in extra time, beating hosts France 5-3 to add the Games' top prize to their glittering trophy cabinet.
De la Fuente, who led the Under-23 side to silver at Tokyo 2020 before taking the senior role, believes Spanish football deserves more credit.
"We are not aware of what we have achieved this year and we do not value Spanish football enough. Let's get rid of our prejudices, really, almost no team can achieve this," De la Fuente told reporters.
"Also the Under-19 team, Under-21 European runners-up last year... Let's give importance to what has been achieved, this is historic, we have lived an epic story that will go down in the history of the Olympics and Spanish sport."
La Roja were losing finalists at Syndey 2000 (versus Cameroon) and Tokyo 2020 (against Brazil), but their victory in Paris sealed a remarkable year for all involved with Spanish football.
Since an iconic Spain team featuring the likes of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique won gold on home soil at Barcelona 1992, La Roja had been reduced to the role of nearly men at the Games.
Yet that has all changed now, and coupled with their success at Euro 2024, an era of Spain dominance appears set to continue in world competition.
Spain Under-21 head coach Luis de la Fuente, who will take charge of the Olympic team in Tokyo, announced a 22-man list that must be trimmed to 18 for the tournament.
Teenage Barcelona midfielder Pedri has been one of the standout figures in Luis Enrique's Spain team at the European Championship, while Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Simon got away with a huge mistake in the last-16 game against Croatia, when he conceded an own goal before Spain roared back to earn a 5-3 win.
He carelessly failed to deal with Pedri's back pass and the ball rolled into the net.
They were joined on De la Fuente's squad list by senior Spain colleagues Eric Garcia, Pau Torres, Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal.
As expected, there was no place for veteran Sergio Ramos, who wanted to represent Spain at both Euro 2020 and the Olympics this year but was called up for neither tournament.
Ramos, who is leaving Real Madrid after 16 years, endured an injury-plagued 2020-21 season.
Spain, who were gold medallists in men's football at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, also included Real Madrid duo Dani Ceballos and Marco Asensio, Valencia's Carlos Soler, Sevilla's Bryan Gil and Mikel Merino of Real Sociedad in a strong line-up.
Monday's victory over Croatia at Euro 2020 has carried Spain through to a quarter-final against Switzerland, to be played in St Petersburg on Friday.
Should Spain go all the way to the final, they will contest the showpiece at Wembley on July 11.
The Olympic football competition begins before the Games is officially declared open, with Spain due to play Egypt at the Sapporo Dome in their opening Group C game on July 22, a day ahead of the opening ceremony.
De la Fuente said he had no doubts about selecting Simon, despite his error at the Euros.
"I know Unai Simon. I know of his strength and integrity," De la Fuente said. "Yesterday he had an exceptional reaction after a difficult moment."
Provisional Spain squad for Tokyo Olympics: Alvaro Fernandez (Huesca), Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao)), Alex Domínguez (Las Palmas); Mingueza (Barcelona), Jesus Vallejo (Granada), Eric García (Barcelona), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Oscar Gil (Espanyol), Juan Miranda (Real Betis); Marc Cucurella (Getafe), Jon Moncayola (Osasuna), Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid), Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Carlos Soler (Valencia), Pedri (Barcelona); Bryan Gil (Sevilla), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad, Rafa Mir (Wolves), Javi Puado (Espanyol).
Jacobs, 26, powered to a surprise gold in 9.80 seconds in the men's 100m final before combining with Lorenzo Patta, Eseosa Desalu and Filippo Tortu to win Italy's first medal in the relay since London 1948.
The relay win gave Italy a fifth athletics gold in Tokyo, tied with the United States for the most. They had never previously claimed more than three at a single Games.
Jacobs has become just the second Italian to win multiple athletics Olympic titles after Ugo Frigerio's three walking golds between 1920 and 1924.
An outstanding meet continues a remarkable year for Italy, in which the country also won Eurovision before ending a 53-year wait for a European Championship triumph at Euro 2020, beating England in July's Wembley final.
"This is the year of Italy, this is our year," Jacobs said. "We won the Eurovision, we won the football European Championship, we won five gold medals [in athletics]."
Tortu's superb final leg gave Italy victory ahead of Great Britain by only 0.01s. Canada, led by 200m champion Andre De Grasse, finished third.
It was another unexpected success for Jacobs, who added: "I would never expect this [a second gold] before leaving, nobody would have expected that.
"Thank you Italy. We really have worked well and we believed in it so much. I adore these guys.
"Before entering the track, we looked at each other and we were determined to win a medal."
