Argentina boss Scaloni full of praise for Lamine Yamal’s Spain ahead of potential Finalissima

With the Finalissima still up in the air, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni heaped praise on Lamine Yamal’s Spain.

The long-anticipated Finalissima between Argentina and Spain remains surrounded by uncertainty, with fans eager to see a generational showdown between Lionel Messi and rising star Lamine Yamal. With La Roja in sparkling form, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni made his stance clear on Spain’s progress.

European nations have already begun their path toward the 2026 World Cup, and Spain kicked off in style with a 6-0 demolition of Turkey on Sunday. Mikel Merino scored a hat trick in the rout, while Luis de la Fuente’s side put on a masterclass performance that has quickly propelled them into the conversation as World Cup favorites following their EURO 2024 triumph.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Scaloni had nothing but praise for Spain: “Yes, I watched Spain’s game against Turkey, and the truth is they’re doing an incredible job with Luis (De la Fuente). Everyone already knows the relationship I have with him, and I think right now they’re one of the best national teams.”

Beyond results, Scaloni highlighted the way Spain captivate neutrals with their style of play. “They play a kind of football that fans enjoy. Everyone who watches Spain play enjoys it. Of course, there are other teams that are also very good, playing in different ways, and when the World Cup comes, we’ll analyze that. But yes, Spain are in a really good place,” he concluded.

As reigning European champions, Spain are the clear favorites in Group E alongside Turkey, Georgia, and Bulgaria. La Roja are also enjoying remarkable consistency, boasting a 27-match unbeaten streak (22 wins, 5 draws), the longest current run of any national team.

Spain’s last defeat came in March 2023, a 2-0 setback against Scotland in EURO qualifying. Since then, De la Fuente’s squad have gone unbeaten and now sit just two games shy of matching Vicente del Bosque’s longest streak in Spain’s history. Against that backdrop, Scaloni’s words carry extra weight, acknowledging what Spain are building with a new generation led by 18-year-old Yamal.

What about the Finalissima?

After winning Copa América and the EURO, Argentina and Spain were expected to face off in the Finalissima earlier this year. But scheduling conflicts, World Cup qualifiers, and a congested calendar forced the match to be pushed back to 2026. The federations have tentatively agreed to stage the game in March, though several details still need to be finalized.

Spain’s biggest obstacle could be avoiding a second-place finish in qualifying, which would force them into World Cup playoffs during that same March window. The venue is also under debate: while the match is expected to be held in Europe, both the US and Qatar have expressed interest in hosting.

Scaloni, however, admitted he would have preferred a different timeline. Speaking to Argentine outlet TNT Sports, he said: “If you ask me, I’d have preferred not to. Because I think there was enough time to play it earlier. Spain couldn’t do it because they had the Nations League, which they invented themselves. And we weren’t able to play. And now that we can, they can’t—because they’re playing World Cup qualifiers.”