"I would love to be part of this match," Fuente told COPE. "We have studied Argentina carefully. The upcoming game will undeniably be fascinating for many reasons. Therefore, I am truly excited because Spain and Argentina are among the strongest teams in the world."
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Coach Luis de la Fuente during Spain's UEFA Nations League Group A4 match against Denmark at the Nueva Condomina stadium in Murcia, Spain, on 12/10/2024. Photo: Reuters |
Coach Luis de la Fuente during Spain's UEFA Nations League Group A4 match against Denmark at the Nueva Condomina stadium in Murcia, Spain, on 12/10/2024. Photo: Reuters
The match is scheduled during the FIFA Days of 3/2026, almost three months before the World Cup. By then, South America's World Cup qualifiers will have concluded. However, if Spain fails to secure a direct spot from Europe, they will have to play a playoff round in 3/2026, potentially impacting the Argentina match.
If the match takes place, it could be the first time Lamine Yamal faces Lionel Messi. Yamal has a strong chance of winning the Ballon d'Or at 18. As an infant, he was even bathed by Messi at a charity event. Both players lead the play for their respective powerful national teams. Yamal is considered the future of Barca, while Messi is a legend.
However, de la Fuente believes Yamal still has a long way to go. "Yamal has the potential to become a great player, but he needs time," the 64-year-old coach said. "Yamal is far from reaching legendary status if all he's receiving now is praise. He is mature for his age and understands what he has. But constant praise doesn't benefit him."
At Yamal's current age of 17, Messi had only played 9 professional matches, scoring one goal. Meanwhile, the Spanish player has scored 21 goals and provided 22 assists in over 60 matches across all competitions this season. He will turn 18 on 13/7.
De la Fuente, a former left-back, primarily played for Athletic Bilbao. His coaching career hasn't yielded any club-level titles. Since 2013, he has exclusively managed Spanish national teams. He led the U19 team to the European Championship in 2015, the U21 team to the title in 2019, and guided the senior team to victory at Euro 2024.
Compiled by Hoang An
