Back in 2017, in the limbo of his post-playing career, Lionel Scaloni enrolled at the Spanish federation to study for his Uefa Pro Licence. There he first met Luis de la Fuente, who was teaching the technique module while still in charge of Spain's Under-19s. Scaloni passed with one of the best marks in his year and later said de la Fuente gave him and his classmates "an enormous hand". Now, the two men stand 90 minutes apart on Sunday contesting the World Cup final, bonded by that classroom moment.
Neither has managed a top-flight club game between them, yet both have built national teams that function like families, with values as close to sport as to the Catholicism they practise. De la Fuente is bidding to become a World Cup winner and European champion at the same time. Scaloni is defending the world title he won in 2022.
“Spain's Luis de la Fuente and Argentina's Lionel Scaloni, bonded by a coaching course, face each other in the World Cup final.”
De la Fuente grew up in Haro, in the wine region of La Rioja. After retiring as a player in 1994, he spent 15 years in various roles, including managing in the lower Spanish leagues. He was sacked as manager of second-tier Deportivo Alaves in 2011 and spent the next 18 months out of work, drifting away from football. His story with the federation began with an act of faith: he saw a newspaper advertisement for a youth coach, rang former Spain manager Inaki Saez, who told the FA de la Fuente was the ideal man. The contract was for three months, to take Spain's Under-19s to the European Championship in Lithuania. He lost to France in the semi-finals but did enough to get a contract. Next he took Rodri, Unai Simon and Mikel Merino to the following Under-19s Euros and won it – and things kept going from there.
De la Fuente arrived as Spain's national team boss in 2022, having coached most of this squad since adolescence, through under-19, under-21 and Olympic level, winning titles along the way. He has known Dani Olmo, Martin Zubimendi, Pedri, Mikel Oyarzabal and Marc Cucurella since their youth. Scaloni, meanwhile, is the product of Argentine football's dressing-room culture, forged in a fire of its own.
The bond between the two men has remained ever since that course. On Sunday, the teacher faces the student for the ultimate prize.