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By Gopal Ram Tripathi

SPAIN HEAD COACH Luis de la Fuente used his pre-final press conference on Friday, July 17, 2026 to flag what he sees as the most decisive factor in Sunday's World Cup showdown with Argentina: how strictly the match is officiated. Rather than dwelling on Lionel Messi's individual brilliance or Argentina's physical approach, de la Fuente steered the conversation toward Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić, stressing that firm officiating would be essential to keeping the final fair. He said the official's role would be critical and cautioned that no side should be allowed to push past the limits the rules allow.

At the same time, the Spanish coach made clear he wasn't accusing Argentina of anything untoward, and he pushed back firmly when reporters suggested Scaloni's side might resort to gamesmanship to unsettle Spain. He said he trusted the officiating team completely and was confident his own players understood exactly what kind of match awaited them.

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Messi Gets "Special Attention," But No Man-Marking

Unsurprisingly, questions kept circling back to Messi, who at 39 is playing in what is widely expected to be his final World Cup appearance. De la Fuente confirmed Spain would give the Argentine captain "special attention" without committing to man-marking him for the full 90 minutes, a tactic he said he'd already tried and failed with, decades ago.

He recalled a match from his days coaching Sevilla's youth academy, when Spain's current boss got his first taste of just how hard Messi is to contain. When Spain had assigned a player to shadow Messi throughout a youth fixture in Barcelona. La Roja Coach explained further more, he stood back with the score while still on level with Barcelona in the second half Only for Messi to score four times in the space of about 15 minutes once freed from close attention. De la Fuente offered that memory as his answer to whether Spain would try anything similar on Sunday, essentially conceding that no single defender can be expected to shut Messi down alone.

He also had warm words for his opponent, calling Messi one of a kind and pointing to his conduct and longevity as a model for young athletes, especially given the level he's still playing at in his late 30s.

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Old Bond With Scaloni, and a Lighter Note on Nerves

Sunday's final carries an added layer for de la Fuente beyond the tactical puzzle Messi presents: his own connection to Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. The two built a relationship back in 2017, when de la Fuente was an instructor on the coaching course Scaloni took in Spain to earn his professional license. That mentor-student bond has persisted through Scaloni's rise to a World Cup title in 2022 and now a shot at back-to-back championships. De la Fuente has spoken openly in the past about his pride in Scaloni's success, even while both men insist that friendship will be set aside once the match is set to go.

Away from the tactical and personal storylines, de la Fuente kept the mood light when asked about pressure, joking that the only thing making him nervous was the helicopter ride he and his team would need to catch once the press conference wrapped up. He said he was otherwise entirely calm, and added that reaching a final at all, regardless of the outcome, was a privilege he'd happily take year after year. He also overlooked the well-known saying that nobody remembers the runner-up, arguing that both Spain and Argentina were approaching Sunday's match with an emphasis on quality football rather than gamesmanship.

De la Fuente 's press conference explains why the challenge against Argentina as a whole team can be frustrating and at the same time he wants to make sure that his team can stop Messi when it would mean the most. His past memory about failing to contain a young Messi decades ago suggests that Spain's plan will lean on structure and discipline rather than a single stopper. With his past apprentice, Scaloni waiting on the other side of the touchline and a World Cup title on the line, Sunday's final in New Jersey promises as much of a chess match between two familiar minds as it does a contest between two star-studded squads.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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