World Cup Final Preview Spain vs. Argentina: De la Fuente Declares Yamal Fit, Rodri Warns Against Reducing the Match to Messi

Yamal Fit After Foul in Semifinal

Coach Luis de la Fuente, 65, gave the all-clear on Friday evening. "It was painful for him, and out of caution we gave him minutes to recover. He is fine today, he has trained with the squad, and he is in optimal condition," said de la Fuente. The Spanish coach also stressed that Yamal needed to remain himself in the clash between the European champion and the world champion: "We help Lamine the most when we let him be himself." The team also wanted to enjoy the moment: "Everything else, and I insist on this, we want to enjoy. We want to enjoy the moment." With a wink, de la Fuente added: "I'm nervous because we're flying back by helicopter. I'm serious. We came by helicopter and have to take it back, and that really makes me nervous."

Rodri Warns Against Reducing the Match to Messi

On the Argentine side, the focus is primarily on Lionel Messi. Spain's midfielder Rodri, who is under contract with Manchester City, spoke about the Argentine captain on Friday evening in Manhattan before hundreds of journalists. "For me, he is the best player of all time. He has led his national team, but Argentina is much more than just Messi," said Rodri. Looking ahead to the final, he added: "Our goal was to be exactly where we are now. We wanted to win the World Cup, and we know we can. We have shown we can beat great rivals, and now we face the toughest opponent yet. It will be the perfect test to see if we can really lift the World Cup trophy. We must have more desire to win than fear of losing."

Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that his team was in good shape. He pointed to the special atmosphere in the country: "The fans of Boca Juniors and River Plate embrace each other and celebrate together — how can that not move you?" Scaloni also spoke about the fan base: "You see the people, how they celebrate, how we make them happy. That touches you." However, preparation time was tight: "We don't have much time to train. We arrived here late and will be busy now."

Argentina's Tactical Profile

Tactically, Argentina brings a distinctive mix according to expert assessments. "Argentina brings a great deal of physicality from the Premier League combined with strong, versatile skills on the ball and good decision-making," the analysis states. Five players in the 26-man squad are under contract with Premier League clubs, putting Argentina level with Spain at the top among World Cup teams. Six Argentine players are at Atlético Madrid, including the four regulars Julián Álvarez, Nicolás González, Thiago Almada, and Nahuel Molina. "That is a strikingly high concentration at a single club," the analysis notes. Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, by contrast, play in the U.S. MLS with Inter Miami.

Defensively, Argentina often operates with two compact back fours, similar to the approach Atlético Madrid has successfully employed over the past decade. Against evenly matched opponents, the team is solid and looks to strike on the counter. Often only a few players — sometimes just three — push forward, while the rest form a large defensive block. Through rotations, overloads on the wings, and quick switches of play, the team deliberately tries to free up Messi. Messi himself contributes little to defensive work, which the remaining nine outfield players must compensate for.

Late Goals as a Trademark

Argentina has scored 19 goals during the tournament, six more than Spain's 13. However, the "Albiceleste" has also conceded seven goals, while Spain under de la Fuente has allowed just a single goal in the entire tournament. Striking is Argentina's late-goal record: in every knockout round, Argentina scored late. Against Cape Verde and Switzerland, matches went to extra time; against Egypt and England, goals came in the closing stages. In the semifinal against England, Argentina prevailed 2:1. After falling behind 0:1, Argentina had 88 percent possession in the second half, compared to England's 12 percent. One example of the late goals: in the round of 16 against Switzerland, striker Julián Álvarez decided a duel with Granit Xhaka in stoppage time before the 3:1.

For the Spanish team, Mikel Oyarzabal, Mikel Merino, and Pedro Porro have particularly stood out during the tournament. Spain relied on a strong collective performance in the semifinal against France, without scoring more than necessary. Because Argentina played the second semifinal, Spain had an additional rest day.

Martínez Playing Through Pain

There are also personnel concerns off the pitch: Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, 33, is playing through pain. He suffered a fracture of the right ring finger on May 20 during the warm-up for the Europa League final, which Aston Villa won 3:0 against SC Freiburg. Martínez decided to postpone surgery and has been able to train normally again since the World Cup round of 16. "My hand still hurts every day," he said. Every specialist he consulted had deemed surgery necessary.

Daniel Memmert, a professor at the German Sport University Cologne (DSHS) and head of the master's program in "Match Analysis," traveled to research sites during the 2026 World Cup. His assessments feed into the tactical analysis, which is part of a ZDFheute series on the tournament's most intriguing teams.

External conditions cited for the final include expected heat, smoke from wildfires in Canada, and a likely dry pitch. Mexico is noted as one of the few teams that has used more players than Argentina in the tournament: 23 of Argentina's 26 squad players have seen action, 16 of them with more than 100 minutes of playing time.