No phone calls to guru La Fuente for Scaloni until final

Luis de la Fuente and Lionel Scaloni — the rival coaches in Sunday's FIFA World Cup final — are almost a study in contrasts. The 65-year-old de la Fuente, dapper and inscrutable, looks every inch the football guru, while the World Cup-winning Argentine — casually dressed and often animated — looks fit enough to take part in a seniors' match at any time.

The relationship between the two, that of mentor and student, is no longer much of a secret. While de la Fuente was Scaloni's primary instructor during the latter's Pro Licence coaching course in Madrid in 2017, the Argentine's ties with Spain extend well beyond coaching badges. He spent several seasons plying his trade at Deportivo La Coruna, Racing Santander and Mallorca, and met his Spanish wife Elisa there in 2008.

"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 during Argentina's Copa America campaign in 2024 — the continental triumph that added another feather to his cap after Qatar 2022.

Acknowledging that he would be rooting for Spain at Euro 2024, which coincided with the Copa America, Scaloni said: "I want Spain to do well (at the Euros). He helped us lads who did the (coaching) course in Las Rozas a great deal. I like the way he manages things and how the players give their all for him."

De la Fuente, the mastermind who has coached several members of the current Spanish side since their junior days, has been equally appreciative of the tactical nous that Scaloni brings to the table. Despite being much younger, the Spanish coach has described his former pupil as a "maestro", praising his exceptional tactical preparation and complete command of the squad.

The football world is still gaping in awe at the way de la Fuente's tactical masterclass stifled the star-studded French forward line in Tuesday's semi-final. Yet the ultimate challenge for Rodri and his men will be containing the genius of Lionel Messi on Sunday. Each of Argentina's four knockout matches at this World Cup has pushed the Albiceleste to their limits, only for Messi to find yet another way to rescue them.

Scaloni, meanwhile, has silenced the sceptics who believed in his early years that his greatest qualification was simply his loyalty to Messi. Having retired from competitive football only a year earlier, he replaced Jorge Sampaoli after Argentina's 2018 World Cup campaign, where they exited in the quarter-finals, and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) initially offered him only short-term contracts.

Managing one of South America's traditional powerhouses is rarely straightforward, and Scaloni appeared to lack credentials on both counts. His playing career, though respectable, was hardly illustrious at international level, yielding just seven caps, while he had virtually no experience as a head coach. Even Diego Maradona, who himself failed to end Argentina's World Cup drought in 2010, mocked Scaloni's appointment. But the latter persisted with quiet conviction.

One of Scaloni's first major tasks was to rebuild around Messi, who had not yet attained the near-universal adulation he enjoys in Argentina today. Many fans had turned against him, while sections of the media derisively labelled his generation 'the friends club' — a group of ultra-rich footballers who excelled for their clubs but repeatedly failed to deliver for their country. Scaloni's man-management proved crucial in rebuilding trust, and today the bond between him and his senior players appears stronger than ever.

Two Copa America titles followed, in 2021 and 2024, before Argentina ended a 36-year wait for their third World Cup crown in Qatar three-and-a-half years ago. On Sunday, Scaloni's side will have the chance to become only the second team after Pele's Brazil to retain the World Cup. But they face perhaps their sternest examination yet.

Until then, Scaloni says his personal calls to de la Fuente can wait. Speaking after Spain's victory and on the eve of Argentina's semi-final against England, he said: "I'm happy for him. He deserves it. He's a great bloke. Everything we see in his national team is what we hope to see in ours. If things don't go well for us, I'll give him a call. If we play against him in the final... no. Let's hope there's no call until after the final."

There will now almost certainly be no phone call until the final is over.