Quote · The Rest Is Football
Emma Hayes & Joe Hart on Tuchel questioning England’s DNA
Where this was said
World Cup Final Preview — Spain vs Argentina
At 22:07 · chapter starts 19:20
With England's campaign over, the conversation shifts to Sunday's final. Emma Hayes has tipped Spain from the start and sticks with them: their collective possession-based identity, built methodologically from youth level, gives them the perfect weapon against a Messi-dependent Argentina — starve him of the ball. Joe Hart goes the other way. Setting aside his emotional investment after the Argentina defeat, he says he is genuinely excited for a game where Argentina's warrior brotherhood collides with Spain's technical perfection, and he believes Messi's extraordinary composure — the man whose heart rate apparently didn't rise above 60 in one of the most pressure-filled international games in recent memory — gives Argentina the edge. Emma's final image captures it perfectly: the moment De Paul came on, his first gesture was to signal to teammates 'give me the ball, I'll give it to Messi'. That selfless collective purpose, she says, is what makes Argentina so hard to beat.
Emma tips Spain — their ball retention will suffocate Messi. Joe goes Argentina, believing Messi's ice-cold composure and the team's collective warrior spirit will overcome Spain's technical perfection. Both agree it is the right final.
Emma Hayes predicted Spain would win the final by simply not giving Argentina the ball, arguing that if Spain scored first they would control possession entirely.
Joe Hart marvelled that in the cauldron of the England vs Argentina match, when everyone else was emotional, Messi appeared completely calm — 'his heart rate didn't get above 60'.
The second De Paul ran on the pitch, he gestured to his teammates: give me the ball, I'll give it to Messi. No hesitation, no ego. Emma Hayes says that one act of selfless collective purpose is exactly what separates Argentina from England.
Emma Hayes recalled that the moment De Paul came on as a substitute, he immediately gestured to his teammates to give him the ball so he could feed Messi — instantly changing the game.
