VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 23, 2026 — Fernando Llorente said the best thing Spain did against France was exactly what England stopped doing against Argentina: they kept the ball. When you have possession, you dictate the rhythm.

England went 1-0 up and immediately retreated to defend their own goal from the halfway line with five defenders and one exhausted striker. Argentina spent the next thirty minutes absorbing, observing, and waiting. When openings appeared, they were clinical. Llorente insisted England had the players to make a different choice.

Spain, he said, will not make the same mistake. That was the message Llorente delivered on the eve of the World Cup Final — Spain's first appearance in the match since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010 — with Spain set to face Argentina and his prediction of a 2-1 Spanish victory on record. The best defence, in his view, is to defend with the ball.

As part of the Zoomex World Cup Impact Pledge, Zoomex hosted the fifth and final episode of its World Cup Edition X Space. The discussion featured World Cup winner Fernando Llorente alongside football commentators Juan, Gran Mussama, and Miguel Serrano TV. Fernando Lillo Aranda hosted the session from Boston as anticipation built in the final hours before the World Cup Final.

The session also marked the conclusion of the five-part charity initiative that accompanied every episode of the series. With Llorente predicting a 2-1 Spain victory, the pledged 1,000 USDT allocation will support people affected by hardship in Venezuela — a cause that a friend had recently brought to Llorente's attention. If his prediction proves correct, the allocation increases to 5,000 USDT.

Spain Plays as if They Are Playing With Friends. That Is No Accident.

Throughout the discussion, Fernando Lillo Aranda repeatedly returned to a question many Spain supporters were asking before the final: How can such a young team remain so composed against opponents like France and Argentina?

Llorente explained that while covering the tournament for Dazón and Spanish television, he had spoken with people inside the Spain squad before the France match. What they described closely matched what he later witnessed on the pitch.

"Before the game they already told me that in the changing room they were calm, that they were talking about their things, jokes, stories and such. It surprises me, the attitude so relaxed they have before such an important game, and then how much they came out, because in that sense we were much more involved than the French in the game. They came out winning all the duels. It seemed to me that we were much more involved than them."

Before kickoff, Llorente had expected Spain to struggle against France because of the pace and attacking quality of French forwards including Mbappé, Olise, Dembélé, and Barcola. He also identified France's counter-attacking ability and the risk of midfield turnovers creating dangerous transitions as significant threats.

Instead, he watched Spain neutralize France's strengths by controlling possession and denying them the tempo needed to play their preferred game. That commitment to the ball echoed the possession philosophy that has defined Spanish football's most successful era, from the teams that won consecutive major tournaments between 2008 and 2012 to the current generation coached by Luis de la Fuente, who has blended that inheritance with greater directness and pressing intensity.

"These guys are surprising me. The ability they have to play these types of games in which there is so much pressure, they play as if they were playing with friends, with a naturalness, with a confidence that escapes me."

Llorente praised Rodri, who had been returning to top form throughout the tournament. He described Spain's second goal against France as a reflection of the team's overall style.

"From the goal, defense, midfield, how they break the middle, Fabián, the pass, the wall of Porro. It was pure caviar."

He noted that Spain constantly rotated positions — defenders stepping into midfield, midfielders arriving in attacking areas, and players exchanging roles so fluidly that opponents could not identify consistent defensive assignments.

What England Did Wrong, What Argentina Did Right

One of the session's most detailed discussions centered on England's defeat to Argentina. Because the match had taken place the previous evening, it offered a timely case study of what Llorente believed teams should avoid when protecting a lead against Argentina.

"I think that England made a mistake. In the end, you score a goal and you think that with that it is already done. And in the end what you cannot allow yourself is to get behind and let Argentina dominate you. They had players on the bench, an incredible squad to have done something different. Players who were still tired, I would have brought players up quickly. Having had players up quickly could have put Argentina in serious trouble. Saka, Rashford left too late, Madueke. Players who could have killed them on the counter, and yet they took out five defenders, 5-4-1, which in the end, apart from Harry Kane up there, who was already very tired, without a counter-attack exit."

Miguel Serrano TV reinforced the analysis with match statistics. During the final fifteen minutes, England held just twelve percent possession while Argentina controlled eighty-eight percent of the ball. England completed only two effective passes during the final ten minutes — one of which came from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Miguel argued that England's defensive substitutions late in the match sent a clear message to Argentina. As he put it, the message was not "we are protecting this lead" but rather "come and attack me, because I am staying here." Argentina received that message and responded accordingly.

Gran Mussama compared England's approach to Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid.

"When he is winning, when he goes 1-0 with a very tight result, they fall back and the opposing team sees it. Either a guy with a good shot or someone scores a goal and they keep closing until he scores."

For Gran Mussama, dropping deeper simply encouraged additional pressure from the opposition.

Discussing Argentina's strengths, Llorente identified Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernández, and Alexis Mac Allister as the team's most influential players. Speaking about Mac Allister's role, he highlighted contributions that often receive less public attention.

"Enzo yesterday moved the team as he wanted, always seeing when Messi was alone, and at the last minute how he went to the right wing because there Messi was all the time alone, and from there they raised the whole play."

He added: "The opportunities he had yesterday to score a goal was incredible. It is going to be a very complicated game because they have that ability to get out of trouble. If you give them the smallest minimum option to return to the game they are very dangerous."

Llorente concluded by outlining Spain's priorities for the final.

"We do not have to get into their game. They have to leave with the same mentality they had against France. Being ready in the duels, reading where the balls can fall to get there before them. Keep dominating the game and not give them too many options. Don't make mistakes, that's the main thing in a final like this."

The Striker's Craft: Space, Touch, and the Worst Thing a Defender Can Do

One of the session's most technically detailed segments focused on the art of striker play inside the penalty area. Llorente explained the mechanics of attacking crosses from a striker's perspective after Lionel Messi's headed equalizer for Argentina prompted Fernando Lillo Aranda to ask how such a goal was possible when Lautaro Martínez was reportedly being marked.

Llorente explained that the slightest physical contact from a defender at the right moment can completely disrupt a striker's ability to finish.

"When the strikers enter the area, what complicates your life the most is to have the defender already touching you and bothering you? If before the centre, to anything, you give a little touch to the striker, he is dead. When it happened to me playing, that is the worst thing they can do to you. You have to try to gain space so that the defender does not bother you, because if when you are jumping the minimum touch already makes it very difficult for you to finish."

Drawing on his own playing career, Llorente described how his physical presence often allowed him to create space inside the penalty area. Even so, experienced defenders could neutralize an attacking opportunity with a well-timed touch immediately before a header or shot.

"I remember that when I was going to the shot, suddenly the side from the opposite side comes at you. I always tried to look for the back of the defenders. When the side comes on the other side that you do not see it and gives you a little touch before the shot, you were dead. There were sides that did it very well. Very smart people who bothered you at that moment and you have nothing to do."

Llorente also shared advice from a defender's perspective on managing strikers inside the box.

"When you are defending and the striker enters the area, do not focus only on the centre. Do not neglect. The striker is going to try to take your back and take advantage of that. You have to be touching him, grabbing, looking at the centre and the player who is going to score. Because a lot of people accumulate, one thinks it belongs to one defender, the other thinks it belongs to the other, and in the end the striker finishes without a mark."

According to Llorente, that sequence reflected precisely what happened during Argentina's equalizing goal. With multiple players inside the penalty area and no clearly assigned marker, Alexis Mac Allister arrived late into the box and found himself completely unmarked despite not being one of the tallest players on the field.

The Hardest Defender He Faced — and the One Who Broke His Rib

During the session's quick-fire questions, Fernando Lillo Aranda asked Llorente which defender in this World Cup he would least have wanted to face. Llorente immediately named Virgil van Dijk, citing both his physical strength and athleticism.

"When I went to the Premier League, I was very surprised by how strong all the defenders were, they were all big, even bigger than me, stronger. He seemed to me to be a barbarity. Not only how strong he was, how fast he was, because he's very fast in the long run. He's a very complete defender."

Llorente recalled his first encounter with Van Dijk while playing for Swansea against Southampton.

"In my first game, I was at Swansea against him, and he was at Southampton. In the first clash that happened, he put his elbow in my ribs and fractured one of my ribs. I found out later. At that moment, I held on as best I could. He fell to the ground, I did my best, but the pain I was in was terrible. And then I played the next game, I scored my first goal against City, and I had to stop for a month because I couldn't take the pain anymore."

He added that the physical intensity of the Premier League required an adjustment after arriving from Spanish football, where physical contact was generally easier to manage. "I told my teammates to shoot me from below, because from above it was complicated."

While Van Dijk stood out for his combination of size, speed, and strength, Llorente said Giorgio Chiellini represented a different challenge altogether because of his relentless defensive style.

"The first time I faced him was in an Italy-Spain, in a friendly. It was terrible. How does that mark you? Surely, that's the most sticky one, the one that hits you the most. The other one is stronger, but he doesn't hit you as much. Chiellini is exaggerated. He doesn't let you breathe."

Llorente explained that two seasons as Chiellini's teammate at Juventus, alongside Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, gave him firsthand experience of the exceptionally high standard of Italian defending.

Rodri or Busquets? A Question Without a Fair Answer

Gran Mussama asked Llorente to compare two of Spain's greatest midfielders: Rodri at his peak or Sergio Busquets at his peak.

Llorente acknowledged that a direct comparison would be unfair to either player.

"We can be talking about the two best midfielders in the world. At that time, we also not only had Busi, but Xabi Alonso, we had many options there, not just Busi. But Rodri is impressive. Unlike Busi, perhaps he has more travel, he is physically stronger. It is incredible how he is able to be everywhere. He also has the reliability in passes. I think he has more than 90% success in passes, which is incredible. I think he is the one with the most in the world."

Llorente emphasized that Rodri's return to top form had become one of Spain's greatest strengths during the tournament. Rodri, who has been widely recognised as the world's premier defensive midfielder during Manchester City's run of domestic and European dominance, carried that club authority into the international stage.

"Perhaps it is the great news of Spain. Seeing Rodri again at his best is one of the keys for me."

After earlier injury concerns, Rodri's improved performances coincided with Spain's strongest displays in the competition.

Llorente also praised Mikel Oyarzabal, highlighting both his technical ability and team-first mentality.

"I am in love with how he plays, and more of how he plays, with his attitude. He is a boy who does not think about himself, he thinks only about the collective, about the team, about working. I love how he moves, how many times he goes down between the lines, helping the team to get out from behind. In the end, he gathers a lot of people in the centre of the field. The positions are rotated and that makes it very difficult for the defenders. Many times they do not know who to mark."

Llorente connected Oyarzabal's movement and Spain's tactical flexibility to a broader observation about the modern game.

"Nowadays they work a lot on the tactical issue, they tell them more or less what to do in the field, more mechanical movements, and a little creativity is taken away from the player. In Spain, I see that they interpret the game very well. They let each one take out the best that he has, or his creativity inside the field."

Football Has Changed — and the Details Are What Changed It

Juan asked Llorente whether modern football has become more physical than during his playing career, or whether the overall quality of the game has simply increased, leaving less room for individual technique.

Llorente explained that football has evolved because of the growing emphasis on preparation, conditioning, and attention to detail.

"The details are taken care of more and more. All the players already have nutritionists, their diets, their individualised work, which before was impossible. I remember when I started, we would go out to the field and we would start shooting without warming up, without doing anything. Today you already have a pre-activation in the gym, then you go out, you have another warm-up when you go out to the field. They take great care of the details."

He said these changes have fundamentally transformed the sport.

"Football is evolving. The fact of taking care of the details also makes you train more and better. The players are better physically, they take better care of themselves, everything is much more professionalised. It is more physical, you run more and every time everyone goes further to the limit. That is clear. That is why there is also so much equality, despite the fact that there are better teams than others."

Reflecting on his own style as a traditional centre-forward, Llorente acknowledged that physically dominant strikers who hold up long balls and bring teammates into the attack have become increasingly rare.

"Every time I see a long ball and there is a duel, normally the defenders win it. The one who plays from the back is a striker. It is complicated today to see a striker who, every time there is a long ball, keeps it and is able to give the team a way out from above."

Llorente noted that many of today's top clubs seek to emulate Barcelona's possession-based build-up style, playing out from the back. As a result, many goals in modern football now originate from turnovers during the build-up phase rather than from traditional attacking moves.

Panel Predictions, the Golden Boot, and a Dinner Wager

The panel concluded by sharing their predictions for the final. Llorente had already submitted a 2-1 victory for Spain on the FIFA platform. Miguel Serrano TV predicted a cautious 1-0 win, referencing Johannesburg 2010 and emphasizing the importance of managing expectations before football's biggest match. Juan predicted a 3-1 victory, while Gran Mussama forecast a 4-0 result if Spain scored early. Fernando Lillo Aranda offered to buy Gran Mussama a steak anywhere he chose if that prediction came true.

Gran Mussama later revised his prediction to Spain 4-1, with Lionel Messi scoring. "Since he's retiring as the best in history and didn't play in the World Cup." The prediction was recorded.

The discussion then shifted to the Golden Boot race. Miguel Serrano TV outlined the standings, noting that Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Erling Haaland each had eight goals. With Haaland and Mbappé eliminated, only Messi remained in contention, making him the favorite. Mikel Oyarzabal had five goals and would need a hat-trick in the final to draw level. The panel agreed they would gladly accept Messi winning the Golden Boot if Spain won the World Cup, while acknowledging that Oyarzabal scoring three goals in the final was unlikely.

Miguel also addressed the ongoing discussion surrounding Argentina, officiating, and social media narratives. Referring to Lionel Messi's comments following Argentina's semifinal exit at the 2019 Copa América — where Messi criticized corruption and refereeing decisions he believed favored Brazil — Miguel observed that many of the current arguments regarding Argentina echoed the same concerns Messi had previously expressed. For Miguel, football history often repeats itself, and championship-winning teams inevitably become the subject of competing narratives.

The conversation concluded with discussion about Messi's future and the possibility of another FIFA World Cup appearance. With Messi expected to be 41 or 42 years old in 2030, the panel generally viewed another World Cup as unlikely. Gran Mussama suggested that Major League Soccer had not maintained the same competitive intensity, while Juan argued that if Argentina won this final, Messi's legacy would already be complete. He suggested the 2028 Copa América could represent a more realistic international objective.

The Lesson from the Zoomex Space

Throughout the Zoomex World Cup Edition X Space, one central theme connected both the football analysis and the broader discussion of preparation, mentality, and execution: successful teams remain committed to their plan even under pressure.

Llorente pointed to England's substitutions against Argentina as an example of a strategy that changed because of anxiety rather than confidence. Instead of maintaining control, England's tactical decisions invited sustained Argentine pressure and altered the message communicated to both teams on the field.

He contrasted that approach with Spain's mentality before facing France. He described a dressing room filled with calm conversation, jokes, and confidence despite the magnitude of the occasion. For Llorente, that atmosphere reflected a team that trusted its preparation.

The plan remained the plan regardless of the scoreline. Whether leading 1-0 or trailing 1-0, Spain's identity did not change because the decisive work had already been completed through preparation, training, and disciplined decision-making.

"You have to play a game like the one we played against France. We practically did not make mistakes. Because if you lose the ball in a field where they can catch you in some counterattack with spaces, they are still a dangerous team."

Llorente concluded that disciplined execution is simply the successful implementation of the original plan. Any departure from that plan under pressure creates opportunities that elite teams such as Argentina are capable of exploiting.

Gran Mussama's 4-0 prediction is on record. The dinner wager is witnessed. Spain are going to win the World Cup Final, Fernando Llorente said — and 5,000 USDT for the people of Venezuela is waiting on the other side of it.

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