The classroom moment that bonds finalists De la Fuente & Scaloni forever

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente and Argentina's Lionel Scaloni will face each other in the World Cup 2026 final in New Jersey, bound by a shared history dating back to 2017, when Scaloni studied for his Uefa Pro Licence under De la Fuente's tutelage at the Spanish federation. Despite emerging from very different footballing cultures, the two men share striking similarities: both took charge of their national teams after periods when their careers had stalled, both have built squads that operate like close-knit families, and neither has ever managed a top-flight club side. Their meeting in the final underlines how unconventional coaching paths can still lead to the sport's biggest stage.

De la Fuente, 65, rebuilt his career from a newspaper advert for a youth coaching role after 18 months out of work following his sacking at Deportivo Alaves in 2011, going on to lead Spain's youth sides to titles before taking the senior job in 2022. He has personally developed many of his current squad, including Rodri, Pedri and Mikel Oyarzabal, since their teenage years, and is known for values of humility, patience and family loyalty, illustrated by emotional moments during this World Cup. Scaloni, meanwhile, is aiming to defend the world title he won previously, while De la Fuente is chasing a rare World Cup and European Championship double.