Successful teams are often built on the foundation of stability. However, before the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey, both coaches Luis de la Fuente and Lionel Scaloni faced important personnel decisions.
Spain's biggest dilemma lies in midfield, where De la Fuente has to choose between Fabian Ruiz and Pedri.
Ruiz, who still maintains an unbeaten record after 49 appearances at the national team level, is a surprising choice in the match against Belgium. However, this midfielder responded to the coach's trust with the opening goal.
In the semi-final match against France, Ruiz continued to prove his value when he regained the ball the most on the Spanish side (7 times) and made many penetrations into the final 1/3 of the field the most in the match (8 times).
Meanwhile, Pedri also had an impressive World Cup. The Barcelona midfielder is the Spanish player with the most ball possession in the bottom 1/3 of the field (10) and owns the highest expected assist (xA) index in the team with 1.68.
The match between Spain and the Argentine team will definitely be a great performance. These are two super teams, with many similarities. Each team will try to find the best solution for the match.
Both teams possess rare talented players, they can make a difference. At the same time, referees will also contribute to making a match, hopefully it will be good for both" - De la Fuente said.
On Argentina's side, Scaloni continues to apply the philosophy of "choosing the right person for each match" in arranging the midfield. Accordingly, Rodrigo De Paul or Thiago Almada may be prioritized over Giuliano Simeone.
However, Scaloni's most difficult problem lies in the attack, where Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez are competing for a starting spot.
Since losing his position in the starting lineup after the round of 16, Lautaro Martinez has shown incredible scoring efficiency from the bench. The Inter Milan striker has scored or assisted in all three recent appearances for Argentina.
Meanwhile, Julian Alvarez did not experience a truly explosive tournament. He has only scored one goal in seven appearances, although it was an important goal in the victory over Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
Therefore, Scaloni will have to make a choice between an energetic Julian Alvarez, actively supporting defense when without the ball, and a sharper and more effective Lautaro Martinez in finishing.
I hope Argentina will win, but otherwise this journey will still be great. What the players have done is extraordinary. They are a role model for everyone.
It's still a football match. We need to show our best version to win. If you keep thinking this is the World Cup final, you may lose focus" - Scaloni shared before the final.
The match between Spain and Argentina takes place at 2:00 AM on July 20 (Vietnam time).
