Argentina coach, Lionel Scaloni, walked across the stage and wrapped his former teacher, Luis De La Fuente, in a tight hug. | Photo Credit: AFP
Argentina head coach, Lionel Scaloni, and Spain coach, Luis de la Fuente, shared an emotional embrace on Saturday ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, rekindling a relationship that began nearly a decade ago when one was a teacher and the other a student.
The two coaches met at the FIFA Fanatics event in New York on Friday, marking the first time ahead of a FIFA World Cup final that both finalists jointly engaged with fans before the tournament’s showpiece.
After addressing supporters at the event, Scaloni walked across the stage and hugged De la Fuente in a moment that drew applause from thousands of fans in attendance.
According to SportsStar, the pair’s relationship dates back to 2017 when Scaloni, having just retired from professional football, enrolled for his UEFA Pro coaching licence at the Spanish Football Federation’s academy in Las Rozas. De la Fuente was one of the instructors on the course.
