NEW YORK — Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain has all the makings of a Hollywood script: the European champions squaring off against the reigning world and South American champions, with a coaching duo whose relationship goes back to a training classroom.
Spain, led by manager Luis de la Fuente, is chasing the country’s second-ever World Cup title — their first came 16 years ago in South Africa. Standing in their way is Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, which is aiming to become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to claim back-to-back world championships.
But the storyline runs deeper than trophies and rankings. After Spain’s 2-0 semifinal victory over France, De la Fuente made a surprising comment — saying he would be “delighted” if Argentina emerged from the other semifinal to meet Spain in the final.
The 65-year-old wasn’t suggesting Argentina would be an easy opponent. Instead, his words reflected a genuine friendship rooted in the past. Years ago, at the Spanish Football Association’s coaching academy in Las Rozas, De la Fuente served as an instructor while Scaloni was among his students.
That chapter unfolded in 2017, two years after Scaloni hung up his boots as a professional player. De la Fuente, who was overseeing Spain’s youth national teams at the time, was one of the mentors who helped the newly retired player begin his journey into coaching.
Neither could have predicted that the lessons exchanged in that classroom would eventually lead them both to a World Cup final.
Scaloni reflected on that time and his connection with De la Fuente during the 2024 Copa America. “Luis has been a huge help to those of us who did the coaching course in Las Rozas. I’ve had chats with him and I wish him all the best,” Scaloni said ahead of Argentina’s Copa America quarterfinal victory over Ecuador.
The respect between the two coaches flows in both directions. Despite Scaloni once being his student, De la Fuente has gone so far as to call him a master — a remarkable compliment given their history, but one that reflects the success Scaloni has achieved guiding Argentina to both global and continental glory.
During the same period, which overlapped with the 2024 European Championship, Scaloni offered his own praise of De la Fuente’s work. “I want Spain to do well (at the Euros) and he helped us lads who did the (coaching) course in Las Rozas a great deal. I like the way he manages things and how the players give their all for him,” he said.
Both coaches went on to win their respective continental championships that year. Now they meet with the sport’s ultimate prize on the line.
SCALONI’S DEEP TIES TO SPAIN
Scaloni’s connection to Spain isn’t limited to coaching credentials. His wife Elisa Montero, whom he met in 2008, is Spanish. Their children were born in Spain, and the family currently lives in Mallorca. Scaloni, now 48, also spent multiple seasons as a player in Spain, suiting up for Deportivo La Coruna, Racing Santander, and Mallorca.
“Part of my family is Spanish and, naturally, I’m supporting Spain (at the Euros),” Scaloni said in 2024.
Speaking earlier this week, after Spain had already booked their spot in the final and with Argentina’s semifinal still to come, Scaloni offered a glimpse of the warmth — and the competitive fire — that now defines this matchup.
“I’m happy for him (De la Fuente). He deserves it. He’s a great bloke. Everything we see in his national team is what we hope to see in ours,” Scaloni said from Atlanta.
He then added with a touch of humor: “If things don’t go well for us, I’ll give him a call. If we play against him in the final … no. Let’s hope there’s no call until after the final …”
That phone call will have to wait until after Sunday. Before any congratulations are exchanged, mentor and former student will first need to settle who learned the most important lessons of all.
