The FIFA World Cup 2026 final is all set to kick off at the MetLife Stadium with Spain taking on reigning champions Argentina. The much-awaited battle between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi has captured the imagination of football fans across the globe, with many describing it as "Barcelona's future vs Barcelona himself."

However, concerns over Yamal's fitness had raised doubts over whether the teenage sensation would be fit enough to start the biggest game of his career.

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has now put those concerns to rest with a reassuring update on the Barcelona star.

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Luis de la Fuente Confirms Lamine Yamal Is Fit

Yamal was seen limping after Spain's 2-0 semifinal victory over France and also missed Thursday's training session, sparking fears that he could miss the FIFA World Cup final.

Addressing the media ahead of Sunday's showdown, De la Fuente confirmed that the 19-year-old has fully recovered and is available for selection.

"He had a strong knock, which was very painful. Just to err on the side of caution, we decided to give him some rest. He was fine in training today. He participated with his teammates. He is fine and in optimal condition," De la Fuente said.

The Spain coach added that Saturday's final training session would be the last opportunity to assess the squad before the final.

"That's the most critical time. If there are any setbacks, there won't be time to recover."

Spain Ready For Messi Challenge

Apart from Yamal's fitness, De la Fuente also spoke about the challenge of facing Lionel Messi in the World Cup final. The Spanish coach recalled an unforgettable experience from Messi's early days at Barcelona, admitting that trying to man-mark the Argentine icon proved disastrous.

"We went to Barcelona, and I had heard great things about a kid named Messi. So we assigned a player to mark him man-to-man, but in the 70th minute, I substituted the marker because he was on a yellow card.

The score was 0-0, and within 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals against us. So we won't use man-to-man marking this time. We have to stay alert and pay special attention, certainly."

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De la Fuente also predicted an entertaining final between two footballing giants. "On Sunday, we will watch a great show. Two super teams, in my opinion, are very similar in many respects in terms of attitude and talent. I believe both Spain and Argentina will have a game plan where talent and good football will rule over everything else."

With De la Fuente confirming the availability of Yamal, fans will now witness one of the most awaited individual contests of the tournament in the battle between the teenage star and Lionel Messi for the title of FIFA World Cup 2026.