NEW JERSEY (United States) — If Lionel Messi and Argentina are to clinch back-to-back World Cup titles on Sunday, they will have to find a way past one of the meanest defences in tournament history.
Spain’s journey to the final in East Rutherford has been a triumph of collective spirit, with all parts of Luis de la Fuente’s well-oiled machine contributing.
But while the silky midfield control of Rodri, Dani Olmo, Pedri and Fabian Ruiz has grabbed the headlines, the cornerstone of Spanish success has been their defence.
A back four of newly signed Real Madrid left-back Marc Cucurella, centre-backs Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsi, and right-back Pedro Porro have conceded just one goal in seven matches.
Another clean sheet at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday would see Spain establish a new record for the fewest goals conceded in a World Cup-winning campaign, which currently stands at two and is shared by France (1998), Italy (2006) and Spain (2010).
Cucurella, 27, who rose to prominence in the Premier League with spells at Brighton and Chelsea before his move to Madrid was completed last month, takes pride in the Spanish back four’s defensive record.
“Great teams are the ones that dominate both penalty areas,” he said earlier in the tournament.
“Obviously, the fewer goals you concede, the better your chances of winning. Hopefully, we can keep this up. If we defend well, we’ll be closer to winning.”
Cucurella’s relentless patrolling of the flank is matched by the skill of Spain’s commanding centre-half pairing of the veteran Laporte, 32, and 19-year-old Barcelona prodigy Cubarsi.
Laporte, who was born in France and spent five-and-a-half seasons at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, has been awestruck by his young partner.
“He’s a fantastic player. At 19, he’s already played a lot of matches for Barca and the national team. Time will tell, but he’s got real quality,” Laporte said.
Cubarsi, for his part, has shown no sign of youthful nerves on the biggest footballing stage of all.
The lone blemish on his World Cup so far was when he was beaten by a Charles De Ketelaere header in the 2-1 quarter-final defeat of Belgium.
“I like being imposing and aggressive,” Cubarsi said. “I like making my presence felt because it’s a position where you can’t back down against anyone.
“You can’t let yourself be taken out of the game. Above all, you need that character to be a difference-maker.”
Laporte has become one of Spain coach de la Fuente’s most trusted lieutenants during the World Cup, an assured presence at the heart of the defence who is often the starting point for attacks.
“He is one of the centre-backs who best executes the philosophy we have,” de la Fuente said.
“It’s a luxury to have him. He offers us great ball distribution, threads passes through the lines, and possesses real authority. He is a very complete player,” he added according to AFP.
The other member of Spain’s back four – Porro – has been a surprise package at the tournament.
Left out of the Spain squad that won the European Championship in 2024, Porro came into the World Cup after a harrowing season with Spurs, with the club narrowly escaping relegation from the Premier League.
But in North America, Porro has been superb in both defence and attack, scoring a beautifully worked second goal in the 2-0 defeat of France.
He is now dreaming of emulating his heroes from Spain’s victorious 2010 World Cup-winning squad.
“In 2010, when we won the title, I was splashing around in the town square,” he said.
“That World Cup… was spectacular, especially for the way it united the country. It would be great to do it all over again,” he added.
