Luis de la Fuente smiled when asked whether he was nervous before the biggest match of his coaching career.
“Only because we’re going back by helicopter,” the Spain coach joked. “We came here by helicopter and that makes me anxious. About everything else I am calm.”
It was an answer that revealed much about Spain’s state of mind before Sunday’s World Cup final against Argentina. There was no sense of anxiety about facing the defending champion, no obsession with history or the occasion.
“It is a privilege to be in a final,” de la Fuente said. “Having the chance to fight to win it is a privilege and we will try to use all our weapons to win it against a country which has been at its best over the past few years.”
For Spain, this final is the culmination of a journey that has transformed a talented generation into one capable of dominating international football.
“We have gradually grown as a team and matured over the past few years,” captain Rodri said. “I have always believed this generation would be very successful. We have won the Nations League, then the Euros, and now we have a great challenge ahead. The greatest achievement would be to win the World Cup.”
That evolution has been built as much on togetherness as talent. Rodri pointed to the two months Spain has spent living together during the tournament as an invisible advantage.
“The time we spent together in base camp was important,” he said. “You need good energy and a good vibe. You help each other, you have fun together and you grow as a group. Sometimes that goes unseen.”
de la Fuente traced that unity back even further, to a meeting before Spain travelled to North America. “We spoke about the long travel, the humidity and the heat,” he said. “We ended by saying, ‘It is what it is.’ Nobody has complained. Things like hydration breaks or a 30-minute half-time may seem strange now, but perhaps in 30 years they will be normal. We have to adapt.”
Adaptation has become one of Spain’s greatest strengths. It has not reached the final by playing one way, but by finding solutions to different problems.
“There is no defined style for our team,” Rodri said. “Matches have different stages and we have not played the same way every game. This will be the most physical match. We know when to attack, defend or counter. That’s why we are here.”
Spain’s versatility has been matched by remarkable consistency. It has conceded just one goal all tournament, comfortably the best defensive record in this edition.
“We are a complete team and very difficult to beat,” Rodri said. “We have managed well in our own box, in the opponent’s box and in midfield. It is not easy to score against us.”
Rodri expects the midfield to determine much of Sunday’s contest.
“Midfield is everything in football,” he said. “They have a very good midfield and so do we. It will be an important battle.”
Standing across from Spain is a team that has become synonymous with resilience. Argentina has fought back from losing positions against Egypt and England and reached a second successive World Cup final through an unwavering competitive spirit.
“It speaks about Argentina’s competitive character that they keep coming back,” Rodri said. “We have taken that into consideration. We will try to hurt them in the way we can. We have to be hungry, ambitious and play our game.”
de la Fuente rejected any suggestion that Argentina’s competitiveness crosses the line. “I would never dare to say Argentina is a dirty team,” he said. “I have the utmost admiration for them. They are South American champions, Finalissima winners and led by a close friend of mine (Lionel Scaloni). I only have admiration.”
Even discussions about Lionel Messi were framed through that same lens of respect rather than fear. “It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player,” Rodri said. “For me, he is the greatest of all time. He led his country to the World Cup (triumph) in Qatar.”
But Spain refuses to reduce the challenge to just one player.
“Argentina is more than Messi,” Rodri added. “They are a complete team with top players. We are the two best teams, and we have to be mindful of Leo and the others.”
de la Fuente laughed as he remembered learning that lesson the hard way during his time at Sevilla. “We had heard about this guy called Messi and decided to man-mark him,” he recalled. “After 70 minutes it was 0-0. Then our player marking him got booked, I substituted him, and Messi scored four goals!”
The memory still serves as a warning. “So, we will pay close attention to him,” he said, “and they will have to do the same with our players”.
