Spain great Andres Iniesta sent a clear message to Luis de la Fuente’s team earlier on Sunday FIFA World Cup Final against Argentina: don’t waste energy to stop Lionel Messi completely because “it’s impossible”.The Barcelona legend, who scored the winning goal in Spain’s historic 2010 World Cup final triumph, believes that the key to lifting the trophy is not in neutralizing Messi, but in sticking to the Spanish identity and making Argentina uncomfortable through possession, creativity and clinical finishing.Defending champions Argentina enter the title clash as the tournament’s highest-ranked team, with Messi producing another masterclass in what is expected to be the final World Cup appearance of his glittering career. The 39-year-old has already racked up eight goals and four assists as Spain remain unbeaten and conceded just once in seven matches.
“Close it is impossible”
Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE, Iniesta admitted that completely silencing Messi is an unrealistic goal for any team.“Closing it completely is impossible,” said Iniesta, as quoted by Goal.com. “It will be more about how much Spain can hurt Argentina with their own play, creating chances, and being clinical when they come.”Having spent more than a decade alongside Messi at Barcelona, Iniesta knows better than most the challenge the Argentine captain presents.“There are no words, or I just don’t know how to describe it. The determination, the conviction, and everything he does in every game is something that just takes your hat off,” he said.Rather than devising a strategy just to contain Messi, Iniesta believes Spain must rely on the style of football that got them to the final.
Get your game back, don’t fear Messi
The former Spain captain urged La Roja to approach football’s biggest occasion with confidence rather than fear, insisting their performances throughout the tournament have earned them the right to believe.“No, no, never fear. You must never play with fear,” said Iniesta.“I think it’s from the confidence that the players give you, and their momentum throughout the World Cup has been on an upward trajectory. They head into the final with all the confidence in the world,” he added.He also praised the clarity and cohesion in the Spanish team, highlighting how each player understands his role regardless of who starts.“Everyone knows exactly what to do. It doesn’t matter who is playing, everyone knows their role, and they exude supreme confidence. It doesn’t matter who is on the field or what position they play; they give you the feeling that everything is under control,” he said.Spain built their run to the finals on defensive discipline and collective football, with stars like Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal and Mikel Merino leading the attack. After defeating France 2-0 in the semi-finals, they are now one win away from their second World Cup title.For Iniesta, however, individual heroics matter little compared to the ultimate prize. Asked if he hoped a particular player would score the winner against Argentina, his answer was unequivocal.“It’s not even a dilemma, because my answer is that I don’t care who scores. The important thing, as then, is that we go as champions. Who scores is secondary, as long as it’s the goal that wins,” he concludes.