Scaloni faces former tutor De la Fuente in Argentina-Spain World Cup final

NEW YORK, July 16 : Spain swept aside France, Argentina scrambled past England and the World Cup final has been handed a scriptwriter's dream: European champions against world and South American champions, with a teacher and his old pupil in opposite technical areas.

Luis de la Fuente's Spain will try to deliver the country's second World Cup, 16 years after their first in South Africa, while Lionel Scaloni's Argentina are seeking to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back world crowns.

Yet beyond the familiar heavyweight billing, Sunday's final carries a more personal twist.

After Spain's 2-0 victory over France on Tuesday, and before Argentina had completed their comeback 2-1 win against England in the second semi-final the following day, De la Fuente raised eyebrows by saying he would be "delighted" to face Argentina.

It was not because the 65-year-old viewed them as an easier route to glory. Quite the opposite. His answer was rooted in friendship and a relationship forged years ago at the Spanish Football Association's (RFEF) coaching academy in Las Rozas, where De la Fuente was a tutor and Scaloni one of his students.

It happened in 2017, two years after Scaloni ended his playing career. De la Fuente, then in charge of Spain's youth teams, was among the figures who helped guide a recently retired player taking his first steps towards management.

Neither man could have imagined the lessons of Las Rozas would one day echo all the way to a World Cup final.

Scaloni spoke warmly about that period and his bond with De la Fuente at 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