Spain vs Argentina final: de la Fuente on possession and Messi

Luis de la Fuente says Spain's World Cup final win over Argentina came from control, sacrifice and a clear plan to keep Lionel Messi away from danger. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after 120 minutes at MetLife Stadium, and de la Fuente called the team performance sublime. He also said Spain had already won Euro 2024 under his management.

De la Fuente's case for Spain

"I have wonderful players, brilliant, the best in the world. They make things look easier and besides that, they always work with the maximum dedication," de la Fuente told goal.com. "We had the best team, not the best national team, we had great attention and I am very proud of my players."

That was the message again after the final. "We had a great World Cup and we learned from every game. We were superior in the final, it's a pity we didn't win it earlier, but it is never easy to play games like this. Winning with sacrifices is always the best thing."

Spain's shape backed up the story. They lined up in a 4-1-2-3, a setup that helped them keep the ball and deny Argentina easy routes into the game. Rodri was central to that control, posting an 8.2 rating from 99 minutes, completing 106 passes and winning 8 duels.

Messi's low involvement and the post-match edge

De la Fuente said Spain "managed to keep him away with ball possession," and the numbers fit the description. Messi finished on a 6.37 rating, with only 34 passes and 1 shot over 120 minutes. Spain did not need to dominate the ball for the sake of it, but they did enough of it in the right areas to keep him from dictating the final.

The closing stages then got messy. Seconds after Spain were confirmed as champions, a post-match brawl broke out at MetLife Stadium. Nahuel Molina slapped Rodri on the arm before multiple players became involved, L. Paredes was sent off for violent conduct at 120'+6, and Enzo Fernández also saw red in stoppage time after two yellow cards.

The final record is still the result that counts. Spain won the trophy, Argentina were beaten after 120 minutes, and de la Fuente's version of events is fairly direct: possession, discipline and sacrifice carried the night.