Student vs Teacher: Scaloni and De la Fuente set for World Cup Final showdown
DOHA: The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will offer more than a battle for football’s biggest prize when Argentina face Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday. It will also reunite two coaches whose careers have been closely linked.
Nine years ago, Lionel Scaloni was a recently retired player taking his first steps into coaching when he enrolled in a professional coaching licence course at the Spanish Football Federation. One of his instructors was Spain’s current head coach, Luis de la Fuente.
Since then, both have enjoyed remarkable success on the international stage. Scaloni has guided Argentina through one of the greatest periods in the nation’s history, winning the 2021 and 2024 Copa America titles and lifting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
De la Fuente has overseen Spain’s resurgence, leading La Roja to the 2023 UEFA Nations League title and the UEFA Euro 2024 crown. Now, he stands one victory away from delivering Spain’s second FIFA World Cup title.
On Sunday, mentor and student will meet on opposite sides of the dugout, with football’s biggest trophy on the line.
