England or Argentina? Spain players 'have clear preference' for World Cup final opponent
England or Argentina? Spain players 'have clear preference' for World Cup final opponent
England or Argentina? Spain players 'have clear preference' for World Cup final opponent
Spain's squad have a 'clear' preference between England and Argentina for their World Cup final opponent, according to reports. After beating France to reach the World Cup final, Spain will have an extra day to recover before their opponents for Sunday's game are confirmed.
Spain, who won the 2024 European Championships, dominated France en route to a deserved 2-0 victory and could have easily won by a greater margin. Now, Spain's squad will inevitably watch on as England and Argentina face off in the other semi-final, with a repeat of the Euro 2024 final to be set with a win for The Three Lions.
A World Cup final against Spain this weekend would offer England a chance of retribution after their defeat to Luis de la Fuente's side in the European Championship final in 2024. However, according to El Chiringuito's World Cup correspondent Juanfe Sanz, Spain's players are 'eager' to see Argentina beat England in their semi-final so they can face Lionel Messi and his teammates this Sunday.
Sanz claimed that it is "crystal clear" that Spain's players would prefer to face Argentina over England. "I have less than 23 hours to learn songs I'll probably never sing again, because I really want to face Argentina in the final. I don't even want to see England, I want Argentina in the final," Sanz said after Spain's win over France.
Sanz explained why Spain's players would prefer to play Argentina over England, citing the "perfect storm" of factors, including the polls from shows like El Chiringuito, the fans' sentiment, and the comments from the Argentine press. Sanz also mentioned the cancelled friendly match between Spain and Argentina in March, where Argentina accused Spain of pulling out because they were afraid of them.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente was also asked if he had a preference between facing Argentina and England in the World Cup final. De la Fuente said that he doesn't care who they face, as both teams have their own traits and strengths. "Each one has its own traits. Obviously, football in Argentina is not the same as football in England, European football is not the same as South American football," De la Fuente said.
De la Fuente also mentioned his friendship with Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni, but emphasized that he has a lot of respect for England's footballing potential. "I'm really excited to face Argentina because of my friendship with Lionel Scaloni, but I have a lot of respect for England's footballing potential. And in my opinion, before coming here to the World Cup I cited England as one of the real contenders," De la Fuente said.
Meanwhile, other Spanish players and pundits have also expressed their preference for facing Argentina in the final. Lamine Yamal, who was central to Spain's victory over France, said that facing Lionel Messi in a World Cup final would be "fantastic". Former Spain keeper Santiago Canizares also said that it's every player's dream to face Argentina in a World Cup final.
Spain arrives with numbers and confidence, having stood out for its defensive solidity, ball control, and efficiency during decisive moments. Argentina, on the other hand, combines experience, tactical discipline, and the ability to solve tight matches, with Lionel Messi remaining a key figure for the team.
England, if they defeat Argentina, would face a different challenge against Spain. The English team features a generation led by players such as Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, combining youth, experience, and attacking ability. A Spain-England final would be a clash between two styles: Spain's possession-based and associative football against England's intensity and attacking strength.
