East Rutherford, USA – Rodri, the captain of the Spanish national team, confirmed that his team is aware of the magnitude of the challenge that awaits them against the Argentinian national team in the 2026 World Cup final, stressing that “La Roja” is ready to play a different match than all of its previous encounters in the tournament.
Rodri said during the press conference preceding the final that the match would be more physically demanding, adding: “We expect a completely different match, and it will be more physically difficult, but we have the ability to adapt to the different aspects of the match, whether in possession, defense, or counter-attacks”.
The Manchester City player addressed the possibility of Argentina’s players resorting to provocations on the field, stressing that the Spanish national team will not allow such matters to affect its focus. He said: “If any provocations occur, we must completely ignore them and focus on executing our style of play, because being preoccupied with them will not serve us”.
The Spanish national team captain expressed his great admiration for star Lionel Messi, describing him as the best player in the history of football, but at the same time stressed that Argentina’s strength is not limited to its captain, explaining: “For me, Messi is the greatest of all time, but Argentina is not just Messi, but includes a group of players with quality and experience, and therefore the whole team must be dealt with”.
Rodri pointed out that Argentina’s ability to come back in more than one match during the tournament reflects its strong character and mental toughness, stressing that the Spanish team has prepared well for this confrontation and will try to impose its style from the beginning.
The Spanish captain concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the team’s performance against France in the semi-final would not be enough to win the title, saying: “We played a great game against France, but we need a higher level in the final, because we will be facing the defending champions, and we have confidence in our ability to achieve that”.
