Spain coach Luis de la Fuente ruled out assigning a dedicated marker to Lionel Messi ahead of Monday’s World Cup final against Argentina, saying his side will rely on a collective defensive plan instead.
De la Fuente said an early coaching experience convinced him that shadowing Messi can create more problems than it solves. He recalled a Spanish Cup youth match against Barcelona, when his Sevilla side kept a teenage Messi quiet until his marker left the pitch.
“We went to Barcelona to play them in the Spanish Cup and I’d heard great things about a lad called Messi,” De la Fuente said.
“Obviously we put him under man-to-man marking from the start. And by the 70th minute, the score was 0-0. And when the player marking him was shown a card, I brought him off, and within 15 minutes he had scored four goals.”
The Spain coach said that experience still shapes his thinking.
“What does this mean? That we’re going to mark him man-to-man? No. But that we’re going to keep a very close eye on him? Yes.”
Spain’s approach reflects the challenge Messi presents. Rather than committing one defender to follow him, De la Fuente wants his team to stay compact and limit the spaces where Argentina’s captain can influence the match.
The coach also refused to compare Messi with Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who will play in his first World Cup final at 18.
“Messi is one of a kind, he’s an immense talent and, above all, an example for younger athletes.
“But Lamine has to be Lamine, and I think the best way we can help him is by supporting him, helping him to remain the Lamine we’ve come to know.”
De la Fuente also dismissed concerns over Yamal’s fitness after the winger missed training earlier in the week with a thigh injury.
“He took a heavy knock to the thigh… Today he’s also been taking part in training with the rest of his team mates as normal.”
Spain have also prepared for the tournament’s conditions, including hydration breaks and the extended half-time interval. De la Fuente said his squad accepted those demands from the start and focused on adapting rather than complaining.
