Luis de la Fuente hailed his players after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra-time to win the FIFA World Cup on Sunday (July 19, 2026 ), saying the triumph belonged to a generation that had embraced collective sacrifice and written its place in football history.

“I never thought of anything like this,” De la Fuente said. “I always just wanted joy in moments. When you look back at this process, I would not have achieved anything without these players. The journey with this raw material, this talent. Spanish footballers, the way they compete. These players are amazing.”

The 65-year-old dedicated the victory to his squad and coaching staff, insisting the players were the true architects of Spain’s second World Cup triumph. “First of all I would like to thank the whole staff and everyone who worked with us. The players are the true protagonists. We feel satisfaction, pride. It’s such an honour to be the coach of these amazing players.”

FIFA World Cup final: Argentina’s Scaloni admits Spain was better, praises his players

Before kickoff, De la Fuente reminded his squad of the occasion awaiting them. “I said, ‘Gentlemen, we have an appointment with history, and we want to be there first.’”

Spain’s disciplined defensive display kept Lionel Messi quiet for long spells, with De la Fuente revealing that stopping the Argentina captain had been central to the game plan.

“We had a game plan where the first idea was to keep Messi at bay, but also other players away from our goal. Something very important was the attitude of our players. We were convinced it was our final and we wanted to go all out for this final. If it wasn’t for their goalkeeper, we might have had a larger win.”

The Spain coach also singled out teenage star Lamine Yamal for praise, highlighting his willingness to put the team above individual glory. “I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to Lamine for becoming a great footballer. He’s really sacrificed for the collective good. In my opinion, he played a great World Cup.”

Asked what remained for a team that had now conquered Europe and the world, De la Fuente smiled. “Once we finished the game, there were footballers who said, ‘Now what else is there to win?’ The answer is the next match in September. This team is relentless.”

On Tuesday (July 14,2026) Spain beat France 2-0 to reach their first World Cup final since winning their only title in 2010. A day later, Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1, keeping alive the defending champions’ hopes of a second successive crown.

How the teams got here

Spain, fondly known as La Roja, qualified for the tournament by topping their group in UEFA qualifying. Argentina, the reigning champions from Qatar 2022 and known as La Albiceleste, secured their berth after a 0-0 draw between Bolivia and Uruguay went in their favour.

In the group stage, Argentina won all three matches — 3-0 against Algeria, 2-0 against Austria and 3-1 against Jordan — topping the group to advance to the knockout rounds.

The knockout stages tested Argentina’s resilience. Cabo Verde pushed them to extra time in the round of 32 before Argentina prevailed 3-2. Egypt then built a 2-0 lead in the round of 16 — a match marred by controversial VAR interventions — before Argentina fought back to win 3-2. Switzerland forced extra time in the quarter-final despite playing over an hour with ten men, but Argentina held on to win 3-1. In the semi-final, two late goals sealed a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over England.

Argentina’s Scoresheet at FIFA World Cup 2026

Across the tournament, Argentina have won every match, scoring 19 goals and conceding just seven — a record that underlines why they remain favourites heading into the final.

Spain’s run has been just as imperious. They have gone unbeaten through six games, with only one draw and one goal conceded — testament to why the European champions remain among the tournament favourites.

Spain’s campaign began with a scare — a goalless draw against Cabo Verde — before six straight wins with only one goal conceded. They beat Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to top their group, then thrashed Austria 3-0 in the round of 32. A 1-0 win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal followed in the round of 16, before Spain edged Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-final — the only game in which they conceded. In the semi-final, they shut out Kylian Mbappé’s France 2-0 to book their place in the final.

Spain’s Scoresheet at FIFA World Cup 2026

The meeting

Argentina and Spain were due to meet as continental champions in the Finalissima in Doha, Qatar, in late March — a mouth-watering preview of this final. The match never took place. The fixture fell victim to the wider regional conflict in West Asia, after US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory attacks on its neighbours and left the region in turmoil, forcing organisers to call off the game.

The final is now set for Sunday, July 19, in East Rutherford, New Jersey — the climax of an expanded, 48-team World Cup that kicked off on June 11.

The Debutant and The Master: A picture-perfect finish

In 2007, a 20-year-old Messi posed for a photograph with a baby — a picture that resurfaced nearly two decades later when that baby, Lamine Yamal, made his World Cup debut for Spain as a 19-year-old.

Yamal, now among the best players in the world, was instrumental in Spain’s wins over Portugal and France — helping grant himself a birthday wish of reaching his first World Cup final.

At 19, Yamal is set to become only the third teenager to play in a World Cup final, after Pelé and Giuseppe Bergomi. Spain remain unbeaten in every match he has started this year — a player they will be keen to build around for years to come.

At 39, Lionel Messi already holds nearly every honour the game has to offer, including the World Cup he lifted in 2022. This tournament, he broke Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record — his 17th and 18th career goals took his tally to 21, eight of them scored in this edition alone. The master of the game now has the chance to lead Argentina to a second successive title.

With both teams unbeaten heading into Sunday, fans across the world are counting down to La Roja and La Albiceleste taking centre stage for what promises to be a fitting finale to this World Cup.