Lopetegui on the Finalists' Strengths and Messi's Evolution

Spanish tactician Julen Lopetegui knows what it's like to see Argentina humbled by Spain, but the former Spain national team coach insists that Sunday's World Cup final between the two nations will be a vastly different affair compared to the 6-1 friendly thrashing Spain dished out in Madrid eight years ago.

Lopetegui was at the helm for that dominant victory, secured at the newly opened Metropolitano Stadium in 2018. Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi was absent then, and Spain orchestrated the kind of midfield passing carousel that can leave opponents chasing shadows.

"It's a wonderful memory because I think we played a brilliant match against a great team like Argentina," Lopetegui recalled.

"We managed to close down spaces in midfield, press high up the pitch, and the team delivered a strong performance. But these are two completely different matches. We're talking about a World Cup final, not a friendly."

Lopetegui, who coached Qatar at this World Cup and was part of the Spanish squad as a goalkeeper in 1994, believes that a counter-strategy against the Spanish team might look neat on a tactical board, but once the game begins, it's incredibly difficult to execute a high press effectively against them.

"The theory is very simple, but pressing a team like Spain isn't easy, primarily due to their collective ability to understand the game.

It's not about pressing one or two players; rather, you need to be able to pressure many potential ball recipients at the right moment, in the right place, at the right time, and in the right decision-making situations.

The players' individual ability – in addition to their collective one – to escape situations that many footballers can't handle, allows them to overcome that pressure," Lopetegui added.

"Against a team that wants to have the ball as much as Spain, the opponent will naturally want to press them, but at the same time, this also creates opportunities for Spain to find more space. In football, the blanket covers your feet, but sometimes leaves your head exposed, doesn't it?"

According to Lopetegui, Spain boasts a defensive quartet and a goalkeeper capable of maintaining composure, restarting play cleanly, and finding the passes that initiate a goal-scoring attack.

"This makes it much harder for the opponent to press and, conversely, helps a lot," he said, adding that Argentina also possesses many midfielders capable of retaining possession.

Despite all the tactical chess, Lopetegui believes the final could come down to something less elegant but no less decisive: character. "For me, the main strength of both teams is that they are very combative and possess character," he said. "When you push them to their limits, they usually react well."

He highlighted Argentina's resilience when facing elimination and Spain's unwavering belief in their positional play.

"Spain, who managed to stay composed and calm, trusting in their style of play, waiting for their moment and understanding that superiority would sooner or later reflect on the scoreboard," he stated.

Lopetegui expects Argentina to attack with vertical runs from forwards and midfielders, especially from the second line, while Messi, now 39, has adapted to the demands of a different era.

"He has acquired other qualities, such as making his teammates play better and optimizing his runs into the penalty area," Lopetegui observed. "This evolved version of Messi is a different player, and the national team might play differently to maximize his strengths."

The threat from Spain, in contrast, is spread across the entire pitch. "Spain is a team where I believe every player has the potential to take center stage in the attacking phase," Lopetegui said, emphasizing goals from Pedro Porro, Cucurella's runs, contributions from Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino, and Pau Cubarsi's shots. "It's a team where not only the forwards attack, but the entire team, just as the entire team defends. In other words, Argentina might try to pull the blanket in one direction. Spain will try to ensure that something, somewhere, remains uncovered."