Ahead of Spain’s match against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, NDTV looks back at a prior example of how Lionel Messi was contained at the highest level. The outlet notes that few teams have been able to stop Messi, and points to Spain’s likely need for a specific defensive plan against Argentina. NDTV frames its discussion around the model used in the 2014 World Cup final, presenting it as the last time a team reportedly managed to limit Messi effectively. The coverage centers on the tactical setup from that 2014 match and suggests that similar principles could inform Spain’s game plan for the current final. In this context, Spain is presented as the team adopting or drawing lessons from that earlier approach when facing Messi, who is expected to be a central attacking threat for Argentina. The articles do not provide new match statistics or alternative plans, focusing instead on historical tactical reference as the basis for how Spain might defend.