The teacher against the student. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente and Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni will contest the World Cup 2026 final, bonded by a 2017 classroom moment. Back then, Scaloni enrolled at the Spanish federation for his UEFA Pro Licence, where De la Fuente taught the technique module while managing Spain's Under-19s. Scaloni passed with top marks, crediting De la Fuente for giving him "an enormous hand."

Both coaches became national managers after periods when football seemed to have left them behind. De la Fuente, 65, grew up in Haro, La Rioja, and spent 15 years in lower leagues before joining the federation in 2011. He coached most of Spain's current squad since adolescence, building a culture of respect, patience, and collective responsibility rooted in family values. Scaloni, from Pujato near Rosario, learned in Argentine dressing rooms with their unwritten hierarchies. After retiring in 2015, he coached youth teams before becoming Argentina's assistant under Jorge Sampaoli in 2016, then successor in 2018.

Both built teams functioning like families, prioritizing continuity over disruption. De la Fuente kept faith with his generation; Scaloni retained Messi's supporting cast after the 2019 Copa América loss, repaid with titles in 2021 and 2022. Both describe success as the privilege of watching their people enjoy football again. On Sunday, teacher and student meet again, two men once cast out of football who wrote themselves back into its main book.