Former England striker Robbie Fowler has said that Spain's chances of winning the FIFA World Cup 2026 title will depend on how well they neutralise Lionel Messi's influence — not through man-marking, but by denying the Argentina captain time and space on the ball. Fowler shared his assessment ahead of the World Cup Final as part of a virtual roundtable for Zee5's FIFA WC 2026 expert panel.

Lessons from England's Semifinal

Fowler pointed to England's semifinal performance as a blueprint for containing Messi and the Argentine attack. 'England, for a large portion, were in control. They stopped all the offensive Argentinian players from creating dangers, from getting into the channels and supporting the players in the final third,' he said.

According to Fowler, the key is not merely stopping Messi when he has the ball, but disrupting Argentina's build-up before possession reaches him. 'That's how you deal with the attackers. It's where you go when Messi's got the ball, it's where you go before he's got the ball,' he explained.

Where England's Approach Broke Down

The former Liverpool striker acknowledged that England's defensive structure began to fracture once Messi started dropping into deeper positions. 'The problem England had was when he was dropping deep, and that allowed Messi to get on the ball because it created the space for him. We all know that if you give Messi any space, he can capitalise and cause danger,' Fowler said.

This is a tactical challenge that has troubled elite defences throughout the tournament — Messi's movement off the ball is as dangerous as his play on it, making zonal discipline as important as individual marking.

What Spain Must Do Differently

Fowler stressed that containing Argentina will require collective defensive effort across the entire Spain squad. 'To stop Argentina, maybe you've got to play the way England did early in the game. But you've got to have players who are prepared to put in the hard yards, block channels, track runners, and not allow Messi to get on the ball,' he said.

Notably, this is the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's likely final World Cup Final appearance, raising the stakes for both sides. Spain will need to sustain their defensive shape for the full 90 minutes — something England could not manage.

Spain's Evolved Playing Style

While defensive organisation will be critical, Fowler also backed La Roja's attacking identity to pose problems for Argentina. He was emphatic that the current Spain side has moved well beyond the tiki-taka era. 'Everyone goes on about the tiki-taka, but I don't think this is the tiki-taka of Spain that we've seen in the past. They are still a possession-based team, but what I love about Spain at the minute is it's possession in the right way, it's possession in the right spaces. There's a purpose to how they play,' he said.

Fowler highlighted Spain's ability to break the press quickly, with players like Rodri and Dani Olmo acting as key outlets. 'They can break the press with a simple pass through to Rodri or Dani Olmo. They still play possession football, but I think there's much more directness to the way they play now,' he added. That directness in transition could be Spain's most potent weapon against an Argentina side built to counter-attack through Messi.