5 articles
The world champions landed on Monday to a royal welcome and to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, then took an open-top bus through the capital to Cibeles, the square where Spain's teams have always gone to celebrate.
Spain kept the ball, closed every gap and left the holders without a single shot on target. A tactical breakdown of how de la Fuente's side controlled the final and starved Messi.
Luis de la Fuente's side beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium, Ferran Torres finishing off a Nico Williams header to seal Spain's second world title and a Euro and World Cup double.
Before either man reached a World Cup final, Scaloni sat in de la Fuente's coaching course in Las Rozas. On Sunday at MetLife, instructor and student meet with the game's biggest prize between them.
Victory over Belgium stretched Spain's unbeaten run to 36 matches, level with Scaloni's Argentina and one short of the men's international record held by Mancini's Italy. France, in Dallas on Tuesday, stand between them and history.
