France coach prefers England over Argentina as potential final opponent

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente says he has no preference between Argentina and England as his side’s World Cup final opponents, though his friendship with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni makes that prospect particularly appealing.

Speaking after Spain’s semi-final victory over France, De la Fuente described both semi-finals as “finals before the final,” saying the world’s top four teams had reached the last four on merit.

“We’re not in a position to choose. Both teams are equally difficult and each has its own strengths. Argentina and England play different styles of football,” he said.

The Spanish coach, however, admitted there was an emotional reason for wanting to face Argentina.

“Because of my friendship with Lionel Scaloni, I’m excited by the possibility of facing Argentina,” he said.

He was equally respectful of England, describing them as one of the tournament favourites.

“I have great respect for England’s football. Even before the World Cup, I considered them one of the genuine title contenders. It will be a very close contest between two outstanding teams, and we’ll welcome either opponent,” he added.

Reflecting on Spain’s victory over France, De la Fuente hailed his players after defeating one of the tournament favourites.

“Today we faced one of the best teams in the world, but they were up against the best team in the world,” he said.

The Spain coach also praised the country’s football system, insisting Spanish players are the world’s best because of their ability to excel in both attack and defence, crediting the nation’s coaches and clubs for that success.