Spain coach De la Fuente addresses Finalissima vs. Messi’s Argentina as key 2026 World Cup preparation
The World Cup will be the most coveted prize for every national team in 2026, but before the tournament kicks off in North America, both Argentina and Spain will have another trophy on the line: the Finalissima. With silverware at stake, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente addressed the importance of the showdown against Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Because of scheduling conflicts, the Finalissima was postponed multiple times, pushing the match between Spain and Argentina to March 27, 2026. Given its proximity to the World Cup, Messi and head coach Lionel Scaloni previously voiced reservations about confirming the fixture, arguing that the players’ focus in 2026 should be on the global tournament rather than the Finalissima.
Still, in an interview with Diario AS, Luis de la Fuente was asked whether the Finalissima could serve as a true benchmark ahead of the World Cup, and the Spain boss didn’t shy away from the topic: “I really want to play that match, because of what it represents: a game between the European champions and the champions of the Americas, and because it’s against an opponent like Argentina.”
While the Finalissima is not officially recognized as a major tournament, and its importance could be questioned with the World Cup so close, de la Fuente sees it differently. “Beyond testing the level of both teams, what interests me most is playing another final and having the chance to win another title,” the Spain boss added.
In contrast to Scaloni, De la Fuente appears eager to compete for silverware against Argentina. Messi’s side are the reigning Finalissima champions after defeating Italy in 2022, a similar scenario months before the Qatar World Cup. Now, with Argentina as the 2024 Copa América champions and Spain fresh off their 2024 European Championship triumph, La Roja are determined to bring the trophy back to Europe.
De la Fuente has already spoken about Lionel Messi’s importance to Argentina, even drawing bold comparisons between the Argentine icon and Cristiano Ronaldo. Still, beyond the trophy itself, the winner of the Finalissima would gain a significant psychological boost with the World Cup less than three months away.
Will Spain win the 2026 World Cup?
Currently ranked No. 1 in the FIFA rankings, Spain are widely considered one of the leading contenders to win the 2026 World Cup. Despite their status, La Roja showed they are not without flaws after suffering a surprise defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final.
When asked directly whether Spain can become world champions, de la Fuente offered a confident response: “I’ll answer the question very clearly: yes, we can be world champions. We can, and we are going to fight to be. But there are also other national teams that will try. None of the top teams will be left out — Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Portugal, or Morocco.“
The Spain coach also pointed to Argentina as one of the main contenders and noted how the expanded World Cup format increases the level of competition. “There has never been a World Cup with such a wide range of strong contenders as the next one will have. And then there are emerging nations that will show their progress, like Cape Verde,” he added.