The teacher and the tactician he helped mould: De la Fuente and Scaloni collide in World Cup 2026 final's coaching duel

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was a UEFA Pro Licence instructor to Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni in 2017.

The World Cup 2026 final pits De la Fuente's Spain against Scaloni's Argentina, a teacher-student reunion.

Scaloni helped transform Argentina into world champions after taking over a fractured squad.

De la Fuente represents institutional continuity, having coached Spain's youth teams before the senior side.