'He is like Messi' - Lionel Scaloni drops massive statement on Lamine Yamal ahead of Spain vs Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Final

Spain and Argentina will play in the World Cup final on July 20.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has reached its final showdown, leaving only two football heavyweight nations standing after a gruelling month of World Cup football. In a highly anticipated final, Spain are set to take on defending champions Argentina at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, USA.

The Argentina national football team secured their spot after making an incredible comeback against England in the semi-final, winning 2-1. Meanwhile, Spain booked their place in the final after a masterclass performance against tournament favourites France, managing a comfortable 2-0 victory.

Lionel Scaloni speaks about Lamine Yamal ahead of the final

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni expressed huge admiration for the Spanish youngster Lamine Yamal ahead of the final. While he remains fully focused on defending Argentina’s title to become only the third nation to achieve the feat, the manager was quick to acknowledge the capabilities of the Barcelona winger.

“How to stop Yamal? I wish we could lock Lamine in his room! Lamine Yamal is a truly exceptional player. This kid is a treasure for football, and he’s still so very young, with so much more to offer. He’s a talent who will bring Spain a lot of joy in the future… but we hope that won’t be on Sunday. He’s, like Leo [Lionel Messi], one of those players who’s incredibly hard to mark.”

He highlighted his world-class qualities, stating that the teenage winger has already cemented himself at the grandest stage. He explained that Yamal plays with a brilliant maturity, which will be crucial for Spain in future years. Scaloni expressed a joyful statement, hoping that Lamine Yamal won’t cause much trouble for the Argentinian defence.

The Argentina manager considered the player to be someone very difficult to defend against, directly comparing his threat to that of the team’s iconic captain, Lionel Messi. He emphasized that Yamal possesses qualities similar to Messi, making him a player almost completely impossible to mark or predict throughout the game, highlighting the high level of alertness that the Albiceleste defence will have to maintain to contain him.

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