FIFA World Cup 2026 Final: Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has ruled out assigning a dedicated marker to Lionel Messi in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between La Roja and the defending champions, recalling how a similar tactic backfired spectacularly against the Argentina captain when he was a teenager. Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s title clash against Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New York, De la Fuente recounted his first encounter with Messi during a youth Copa del Rey match between Sevilla and Barcelona.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente recalls previous clash against Lionel Messi
“I met Lionel Messi when he was playing in youth football. It was a Copa del Rey match between Sevilla and Barcelona. I had heard a lot about a boy who was called Messi,” De la Fuente said.Â
The Spain coach explained how his team initially decided to closely mark the young forward, only for the plan to unravel after the marker was substituted. “So, naturally, we decided to man-mark him at first. In the 70th minute, we were drawing 0-0, and when the player who was man-marking him was shown a card, I took him off. In the next 15 minutes, Messi scored four times,” said De la Fuente.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Final: Luis de la Fuente reveals plans for Lionel Messi
De la Fuente made it apparent that Spain would not depend on a single player to halt the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner by drawing on that experience. “Does that mean we’re going to man-mark him? No. But will we be paying a lot of attention to him? Yes. But no more than they will be paying attention to our players,” said the Spain head coach.
The Spanish coach also had words of praise for Argentina and his opposite number, Lionel Scaloni. “Admiration, admiration and more admiration,” De la Fuente said of the defending champions, adding that Scaloni was “a good friend of mine.”
Lamine Yamal vs Lionel Messi: Luis de la Fuente on who is better
De la Fuente was also asked about comparisons between teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and Messi, but insisted the 18-year-old should be allowed to develop in his own way. “I think Lamine has to be Lamine. Messi is an unbelievable talent and an example to all young footballers. I consider him a role model, but Lamine has to be Lamine, and the best way to help him is to give him the support so he can keep being Lamine,” he said.
