The World Cup final had yet to kick off, but the mind games were already underway. As Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente stepped up to address the media, loud boos from a section of Argentina supporters interrupted his opening remarks, drawing a measured response from the usually unflappable manager.
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“Well, hello, good afternoon,” he said on the stage in Spanish. “It is a pleasure to be here with all of you. I was truly taught from a young age to be respectful toward everyone. And we should learn a bit from that lesson, too—to always be respectful.”
However, the boos eventually settled down, and de la Fuente maintained his usual calm and confident demeanor while previewing the game. He even joked that his only worry about the press conference for the World Cup was the helicopter ride.
“I’m quite nervous because we’ll be returning by helicopter,” De la Fuente told reporters with a laugh. “We came by helicopter, and we have to fly back once the press conference is over, and that really makes me nervous.
“Nothing else, though – I’m absolutely calm. We’re lucky to be in these circumstances, in this situation.”
The Spain boss also brushed aside the old saying that nobody remembers the runners-up, insisting that simply reaching football’s biggest stage was a privilege. “For me, the important thing is to be in a position to win, to reach a final,” he said. “I’d be happy to reach a World Cup final every year and lose. But to reach the final and have the chance to fight for the title.”
Having never coached a top-flight club, Luis de la Fuente has had an iconic international career so far. Taking over the reins from Luis Enrique after Spain’s Round of 16 exit at the 2022 World Cup, de la Fuente took a youthful approach by integrating multiple teenagers, especially from Barcelona.
The results were stunning as they coasted to the European Championship title in 2024 with the starlet Lamine Yamal at the front. Having entered the 2026 World Cup as one of the favorites, their title push was built on a solid defence that was only breached once so far.
Still, they produced arguably their most complete performance of the tournament in the 2-0 semi-final win over France. Spain are now chasing their first World Cup title since 2010, with De la Fuente looking to outfox Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni.
Despite the hostile reception from the crowd, De la Fuente was full of praise for the reigning world champions. Dismissing suggestions that Argentina play “dirty,” he said: “It would never occur to me to think that, please. I have tremendous admiration for a team that has won the Copa América, the Finalissima, and the World Cup. On top of that, they’re coached by a friend of mine.”
He also described the final as a meeting of two teams with similar footballing philosophies. “There are two top-class sides, two superb teams with many similarities – in their approach to the game and in the talent of their players – so I think it’s going to be a cracking match,” he said. “Both Argentina and Spain approach the game believing that quality and talent should prevail over any other circumstance.”
When asked how Spain planned to stop Lionel Messi, De la Fuente recalled an old story from his coaching days. “We went to Barcelona to play them… I’d heard great things about a lad called Messi,” he said. “We put him under man-to-man marking… and within 15 minutes he had scored four goals.” The anecdote led him to make one thing clear: Spain would keep “a very close eye” on Messi, but would not assign a dedicated man-marker. He also called the Argentine captain “one of a kind” and “an example for younger athletes,” while insisting that Lamine Yamal should simply “be Lamine.”
His usual calmness was tested by the Argentine fans, who earned the tag of troublemakers so far. The fans were incredibly loud with boos and chants during England’s national anthem at the semifinal recently. That clash was also billed as a high-risk one by the FBI, as the authorities wanted to avoid clashes between the fans.
Spain’s Aymeric Laporte has already claimed Argentina is getting preferential treatment at the tournament. Argentina, meanwhile, have had their own frustrations before the final, with Scaloni criticizing FIFA for scheduling what he described as a “forced” training session shortly after the team’s arrival in New Jersey from Atlanta. The Argentina boss said the packed itinerary left little time to properly prepare for the showpiece event, adding that rest and recovery would remain the priority ahead of the final.
With both fans and the team facing the music, Argentina has no option but to respond on the pitch during the World Cup final on July 19.
