New York: Spain forward Lamine Yamal has overcome fitness concerns and will be available for Sunday’s World Cup final against Argentina, head coach Luis de la Fuente said.
Yamal, 19, was seen limping after Spain’s 2-0 win over France in the semifinals and missed his team’s training session on Thursday.
“He had a strong knock, which was very painful,” De la Fuente was quoted by Xinhua as saying. “Just to err on the side of caution, we decided to give him some rest. He was fine in training today. He participated with his teammates. He is fine and in optimal condition.”
De la Fuente said Saturday’s final training session would be the last opportunity to catch any late setback before Sunday’s match at New York New Jersey Stadium.
“That’s the most critical time,” he said. “If there are any setbacks, there won’t be time to recover.”
The match will be Spain’s first World Cup final since it won the tournament in 2010. Argentina is chasing back-to-back titles and a fourth overall, having previously won in 1978, 1986 and 2022.
De la Fuente, whose side has reached the final unbeaten with only one goal conceded, said both teams were deserved finalists and saw similarities in the way they play.
“On Sunday we will watch a great show,” he said. “Two super teams, in my opinion, very similar in many respects in terms of attitude and talent. I believe both Spain and Argentina will have a game plan where talent and good football will rule over everything else.”
The teams have had starkly different routes to the final. While Spain has largely controlled opponents with its possession-based game and miserly defense, Argentina has relied on late goals to win each of its four knockout games.
De la Fuente said no lead was out of reach for Lionel Scaloni’s side.
“They have been down on the scoreboard and been able to come back,” he said. “But we’ve also had situations like this in the history of our national team.
“Lionel Scaloni and myself, we both share many concepts, values and principles that drive teams. We’re similar, and that shows that in the biggest teams you require those attitudes. When things are so level, it’s all down to details.”
De la Fuente admitted he did not plan to man-mark Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who has had a direct hand in 12 of Argentina’s 19 goals this tournament.
He shared his own personal experience facing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner when he was coaching Sevilla’s youth team.
“We went to Barcelona, and I had heard great things about a kid named Messi,” the 65-year-old said. “So we assigned a player to mark him man-to-man, but in the 70th minute, I substituted the marker because he was on a yellow card. The score was 0-0, and in the span of 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals against us. So we won’t use man-to-man marking this time. We have to stay alert and pay special attention, certainly.”
De la Fuente said Yamal should not try to emulate Messi, but simply play his own game.
“Messi is a role model to younger players, with his attitude and the way he plays,” he said. “Lamine has to be himself, and the best way we can support him is to let him be the person and footballer he is, because he has great potential.”
(IANS)
