De la Fuente Rules Out Man-Marking Messi — Despite Learning the Hard Way
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has confirmed he will not deploy a man-marker on Lionel Messi in Sunday’s World Cup final, even as the Argentina captain continues to tear through the tournament with eight goals and four assists. According to The Guardian, De la Fuente’s decision comes with a self-deprecating caveat: the last time he tried marking Messi out of a game, it went spectacularly wrong.
Speaking in the build-up to the final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, De la Fuente recounted the moment he first encountered Messi in May 2004. At the time, De la Fuente was youth-team coach at Sevilla and Messi was a 16-year-old prospect at Barcelona. The two sides met in the Copa del Rey under-19 knockout rounds at the Miniestadi, and Sevilla went in with a plan to nullify the teenager.
“We put a man-marker on him,” De la Fuente explained. “In the 70th minute it was 0-0. When they gave a yellow card to the player who was marking him, I took him off. And in 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals.”
The Spain coach laughed off the anecdote before making clear it has not changed his tactical thinking for Sunday. Rather than shadow Messi, Spain will look to manage him collectively — “pay close attention,” as he put it — while expecting Argentina to do the same with Spain’s own threats.
Asked whether Lamine Yamal was the closest thing Spain had to Messi, De la Fuente was quick to resist any comparison. “Lamine has to be Lamine,” he said. “Messi can never be repeated.” The comments reflect a broader respect for the 37-year-old’s impact on this tournament and the game at large.
De la Fuente also pushed back against the narrative that Argentina might rely on physicality or cynical play. He pointed to their extraordinary record — Copa América champions in 2021 and 2024, World Cup winners in 2022 and Finalissima holders — as evidence of a team built on genuine quality. “Admiration, admiration, admiration,” he said of Scaloni’s side, noting that the Argentina coach is a personal friend.
For UK bettors keeping an eye on the showpiece, both finalists arrive in outstanding form. You can track all the details and make your picks via our World Cup 2026 hub, with the latest scores and group standings available on our live standings page.
On a lighter note, De la Fuente admitted his only pre-final worry was the helicopter transfer Fifa had organised between New Jersey and Manhattan for official events — an evening he described as noisy and disorganised, sentiments apparently shared by Scaloni, who was visibly irritated throughout.