Luis de la Fuente, the head coach of the Spanish national team, has revealed his plan to deal with Lionel Messi ahead of the highly anticipated match against Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final.

The Spain coach recalled an experience from the early days of his coaching career, when he was in charge of Sevilla's youth team during a match against Barcelona in the youth categories, which witnessed a remarkable performance by Messi.

De la Fuente said: "I faced him for the first time when I was coaching Sevilla's youth team. We went to Barcelona, and I had heard wonderful things about a boy named Messi."

He added: "So we assigned a player to man-mark him, but in the 70th minute I substituted the player tasked with marking him because he had a yellow card. The score was 0-0, and within 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals against us."

No to man-marking

Based on that experience, De la Fuente stressed that his team will not repeat the same approach in the final: "So we will not rely on man-marking this time. We must stay alert and give him special attention, certainly."

The Spanish coach expressed his admiration for what the Argentine captain is showing in the current tournament, noting: "Messi is a unique case. He is an example for young athletes in terms of his behavior and conduct, especially considering the extraordinary World Cup he is having at this age."

Messi, 39 years old, is playing in the World Cup final after leading his country with outstanding performances, in a match that could be his last appearance in the tournament.

Friendship unites the final's coaches

The final also holds a special significance for De la Fuente, who shares a friendship with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, which began in 2017 when De la Fuente was a lecturer while Scaloni was studying for his professional coaching license.

The Spanish coach dismissed rumors about the possibility of the Argentine team resorting to tactics aimed at disrupting their opponent on the field.

He said: "Oh, please, no, no, no... I would never dare say that. I have the utmost admiration for this team. They have won the World Cup, two Copa América titles, and the Finalissima. And here they are again in a World Cup final, something no one else has achieved in history, and they are led by a close friend of mine. I only feel admiration for them, and more admiration."

He added: "I think both Spain and Argentina will enter the match with a plan based on talent and beautiful football above all else."

His opinion on the long break

De la Fuente touched on the organizational changes for the final, which will feature a longer halftime break than usual for an artistic performance.

He said: "I think everything we consider strange or unusual today, like water breaks or a 30-minute halftime break, may become normal in 30 years."

He concluded his remarks: "Perhaps football will evolve in this direction. We don't know. That's the reality. We cannot change it, so we have to enjoy it."