Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has confirmed his side will not man-mark Lionel Messi in Sunday’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, despite possessing vivid first-hand evidence of the danger the Argentina captain poses when left unshackled.
De la Fuente recounted an encounter from May 2004, when he was managing Sevilla’s under-19 side against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey youth competition. Facing a 16-year-old Messi, De la Fuente instructed one of his players to shadow the forward. The tactic frustrated Messi for 70 minutes as the match remained deadlocked. However, after the marker received a yellow card, De la Fuente withdrew him.
“In 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals,” the Spain coach explained. He confirmed history would not repeat itself in terms of tactics, stating that while Spain would not assign a dedicated shadow, they would monitor the Argentine closely. He added that Argentina would face similar challenges dealing with Spain’s own threats.
Probable line-ups
Team sheets are expected to feature established starters for both defending European champions Spain and World Cup holders Argentina, though Inter captain Lautaro Martínez and Como’s Nico Paz are anticipated to begin on the bench for the South Americans.
Despite starting among the substitutes, Lautaro remains Argentina’s second-top scorer at the tournament with three goals, trailing only Messi’s eight goals and four assists.
The probable starters are:
- Spain (4-2-3-1): Unai Simón; Pedro Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Álex Baena; Oyarzabal.
- Argentina (4-3-1-2): Dibu Martínez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister; Messi, Julián Álvarez.
The final kicks off at 21:00 CET (20:00 BST, 15:00 local time) in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Yamal urged to forge own path
De la Fuente also dismissed suggestions that Spain’s Lamine Yamal should be viewed as the team’s equivalent to Messi, insisting the teenager must develop his own identity.
“Lamine has to be Lamine,” the coach said. He described Messi as an extraordinary talent and a model for young players, highlighting his attitude, behaviour, and the impressive World Cup he is delivering at his age.
Pre-match chaos
The build-up was overshadowed by a disorderly FIFA promotional function in Manhattan, where De la Fuente struggled to speak over crowd noise directed at Messi. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, visibly irritated, described the occasion as “surreal.”
De la Fuente, who was obliged to travel by helicopter from New Jersey to Manhattan for the engagement, offered a pointed response to the disruption. “Since I was little, I was taught to be respectful of everyone; we should learn this lesson,” he told attendees.