Spain coach shares remarkable youth-team story ahead of World Cup final against Argentina
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has revealed how a teenage Lionel Messi taught him one of the biggest lessons of his coaching career more than two decades ago, recalling how the Argentine sensation scored four goals against his Sevilla youth team after escaping man-marking.
Speaking at his official pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final against Argentina, De la Fuente was asked whether Spain would consider assigning a player to mark Messi individually, following discussions surrounding England’s unsuccessful attempts to contain the 39-year-old in the semi-finals.
Instead of answering directly, the Spanish coach smiled before recounting an unforgettable memory from his early coaching days.
“I met Messi when I was at Sevilla youth and we played a Copa del Rey match against Barcelona.”
De la Fuente explained that Messi was already attracting attention within Spanish football despite still being part of Barcelona’s academy.
“I heard about him and I said, ‘Let’s man-mark this boy.'”
For much of the match, the plan appeared to be working perfectly.
“We were 0-0 in the 70th minute.” (
Everything changed, however, when the Sevilla player assigned to shadow Messi received a yellow card. Concerned about the risk of a dismissal, De la Fuente decided to substitute him.
The consequences were immediate.
“The player making him got a yellow card and when I took him off… Messi scored four goals.”
The anecdote refers to the 2004 Copa del Rey youth tie between Barcelona and Sevilla, in which a 17-year-old Messi produced a stunning four-goal performance to eliminate Sevilla from the competition—one of the earliest demonstrations of the brilliance that would later redefine world football.
Despite the painful memory, De la Fuente said it does not mean Spain will assign another player to follow Messi throughout Sunday’s final. Instead, the European champions intend to defend collectively.
The coach stressed that while Messi always demands special attention, Spain must remain faithful to the footballing principles that have carried them into their first World Cup final since 2010.
Throughout the tournament, De la Fuente has repeatedly emphasized that Spain’s greatest strength lies in their collective structure rather than individual assignments, believing discipline, possession and coordinated pressing offer the best chance of limiting Argentina’s captain.
Messi, meanwhile, continues to inspire the reigning world champions at the age of 39.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has led Argentina into a second consecutive World Cup final after producing decisive performances throughout the knockout rounds, including a crucial assist in the dramatic semi-final comeback against England.
Now, more than 20 years after that unforgettable afternoon in Barcelona, De la Fuente will once again stand on the opposite touchline from Lionel Messi.
Only this time, the stakes are infinitely greater. Instead of a youth cup tie, it is the FIFA World Cup final.
And the coach who once watched a teenage Messi score four goals in 20 minutes knows better than most that containing the Argentine legend is one of football’s toughest assignments.
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