Fernando Llorente said Spain’s strongest lesson from its match against France was the same principle England abandoned against Argentina: keeping the ball. In Llorente’s view, possession allows a team to set the rhythm and defend without retreating into its own penalty area.

England, he said, went 1-0 ahead and then began defending from deep with five defenders and a fatigued lone striker. Argentina then spent the next 30 minutes absorbing the situation, waiting for space and taking advantage when chances appeared. Llorente said England had the squad depth to choose a different approach.

That was the message Llorente delivered on the eve of the World Cup Final, with Spain preparing to face Argentina and his 2-1 prediction for Spain already recorded. His view was that the best form of defense is to defend with the ball.

That framing made the Zoomex World Cup Edition X Space less a score-prediction session than a tactical recap of how elite teams manage pressure. For Llorente, the final’s key contrast was not only Spain against Argentina, but possession-led control against the risk of protecting a lead by retreating too early.

The session also closed the five-part charity initiative that accompanied each episode of the series. Because Llorente predicted a 2-1 Spain victory, the pledged 1,000 USDT allocation will support people affected by hardship in Venezuela, a cause a friend had recently brought to his attention. If the prediction is correct, the allocation will rise to 5,000 USDT.

Spain’s Calm Before Major Matches

During the discussion, Fernando Lillo Aranda repeatedly returned to a question many Spain supporters were asking before the World Cup Final: how a young team could remain so composed against opponents such as France and Argentina.

Llorente said that while covering the tournament for Dazón and Spanish television, he had spoken with people inside the Spain squad before the match against France. Their description of the dressing room matched what he later saw 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 said he expected Spain to face difficulties against France because of the speed and attacking quality of the French forwards, including Mbappé, Olise, Dembélé and Barcola. He also identified France’s counterattacking ability and the danger of midfield turnovers leading to transitions as major risks.

Instead, he said Spain limited France’s strengths by controlling possession and preventing France from playing at its preferred rhythm.

“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 also praised Rodri, who he said had been returning to top form during the tournament. He described Spain’s second goal against France as an example of the team’s collective style.

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

He said Spain’s positional rotations, with defenders stepping into midfield, midfielders arriving in attacking areas and players constantly exchanging roles, made it difficult for opponents to assign clear defensive responsibilities.

England’s Retreat and Argentina’s Response

One of the most detailed portions of the session focused on England’s defeat to Argentina, which had taken place the previous evening. Llorente used the match as an example of what teams should avoid when trying to protect 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 supported the point with match statistics. In the final 15 minutes, England had 12% possession while Argentina had 88%. England completed only two effective passes in the final 10 minutes, one of them from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Miguel said England’s late defensive substitutions sent a clear message to Argentina. In his words, the message was not “we are protecting this lead,” but “come and attack me, because I am staying here.” Argentina responded to that message.

Gran Mussama compared England’s approach to Diego Someone’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 only encouraged more pressure from the opponent.

Discussing Argentina’s strengths, Llorente identified Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister as the team’s most influential players. Speaking about Mac Allister’s role, he highlighted work that he said can 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 then outlined Spain’s priorities for the World Cup 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 Details of Striker Play

Another technical segment centered on striker movement inside the penalty area. Fernando Llorente discussed the mechanics of attacking crosses after Lionel Messi’s headed equalizer for Argentina led Fernando Lillo Aranda to ask how such a goal could happen when Lautaro Martínez was reportedly being marked.

Llorente said the smallest physical contact from a defender, if timed correctly, can 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 career, Llorente said his physical presence often helped him create space in the box. Even so, experienced defenders could still stop an opportunity with a well-timed touch just 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.”

He also explained how defenders should manage strikers inside the area.

“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.”

Llorente said that sequence was similar to Argentina’s equalizing goal. With several players inside the area and no clearly assigned marker, Alexis Mac Allister arrived late and found himself unmarked despite not being among the tallest players on the field.

Van Dijk, Chiellini and Defensive Challenges

In a quick-fire section, Fernando Lillo Aranda asked Llorente which defender at the World Cup he would least want to face. Llorente immediately named Virgil van Dijk, citing his 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 then recalled his first meeting 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 said the physicality of the Premier League required an adjustment after Spanish football, where he found physical contact easier to manage.

“I told my teammates to shoot me from below, because from above it was complicated.”

While Van Dijk stood out for size, speed and strength, Llorente said Giorgio Chiellini posed a different kind of problem because of his persistent marking.

“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 said two seasons as Chiellini’s teammate at Juventus, alongside Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, gave him direct experience of the high standard of Italian defending.

Rodri, Busquets and Spain’s Midfield Standard

Gran Mussama asked Llorente to compare Rodri at his peak with Sergio Busquets at his peak. Llorente said a direct comparison would be unfair to both players.

“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 said Rodri’s return to his best form had become one of Spain’s biggest advantages in the tournament.

“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 had coincided with Spain’s strongest matches in the competition.

Llorente also praised Mikel Oyarzabal, citing his technical quality and team-first approach.

“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 wider point about modern football.

“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.”

How Football Has Changed

Juan asked whether modern football has become more physical than it was during Llorente’s playing career, or whether the general quality of the game has risen and reduced the space for individual technique.

Llorente said football has changed because preparation, conditioning and attention to detail have become more advanced.

“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 those changes have 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 role as a traditional center-forward, Llorente said physically dominant strikers who can hold up long balls and bring teammates into play have become less common.

“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.”

He added that many leading clubs now try to follow Barcelona’s possession-based build-up model, playing from the back. As a result, he said many goals now come from turnovers during the build-up phase rather than from more traditional attacking sequences.

Predictions, Golden Boot Discussion and Messi’s Future

The panel ended by sharing predictions for the World Cup Final. Llorente had already submitted a 2-1 Spain win on the FIFA platform. Miguel Serrano TV predicted a cautious 1-0 victory, referring to Johannesburg 2010 and stressing the need to manage expectations before football’s biggest match. Juan predicted a 3-1 win, while Gran Mussama forecast 4-0 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 moved to the Golden Boot race. Miguel Serrano TV said Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland each had eight goals. With Haaland and Mbappé eliminated, Messi was the only one still in contention and therefore the favorite for the award. Mikel Oyarzabal had five goals and would need a hat-trick in the final to draw level.

The panel said they would accept Messi winning the Golden Boot if Spain won the World Cup, while also acknowledging that Oyarzabal scoring three goals in the final was unlikely.

Miguel also discussed Argentina, officiating and social media narratives. Referring to Lionel Messi’s comments after Argentina’s semifinal exit at the 2019 Copa América, when Messi criticized corruption and refereeing decisions he believed favored Brazil, Miguel said many current arguments about Argentina echoed concerns Messi had previously raised.

Miguel said football history often repeats itself and that championship-winning teams inevitably become the focus of competing narratives.

The conversation closed with a discussion of 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 considered another World Cup unlikely. Gran Mussama said 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 said the 2028 Copa América could be a more realistic international objective.

The Main Theme of the Zoomex Space

Across the Zoomex World Cup Edition X Space, the football analysis repeatedly returned to preparation, mentality and execution. The central theme was that successful teams maintain 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, he said England’s tactical decisions invited sustained Argentine pressure and changed the message sent to both teams on the pitch.

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

The plan, he said, must remain the plan regardless of the score. Whether leading 1-0 or trailing 1-0, Spain’s identity should not change because the important work had already been done through preparation, training and disciplined decisions.

“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 said disciplined execution is the successful implementation of the original plan. Any departure from that plan under pressure can create opportunities for elite teams such as Argentina.

That is also what gave the panel’s charity and prediction component its narrative link to the football discussion. The score picks were part of the event format, but Llorente’s analysis kept returning to the same on-field test: whether Spain could repeat the calm, possession and decision-making he credited in the France match.

Gran Mussama’s 4-0 prediction remained on record, as did the dinner wager. Llorente’s Spain prediction also remained tied to the charity pledge, with 5,000 USDT designated for people in Venezuela if his forecast is correct.

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