Saga, July 17 -- Sagan Tosu FC, a Japanese football club, shares a unique Spain connection, with FIFA World Cup-winning legend Fernando Torres representing the side at senior level for a season. But ahead of Spain's FIFA World Cup final against defending champions Argentina, the club's youth team head coach Takuma Hidaka has backed the Lionel Messi-led Argentina to go back-to-back on July 20.

Spain has had a long-standing relationship with Japanese football, with some of their biggest stars, Andre Iniesta, Fernando Torres, David Villa and Juan Mata having turned up for several Japanese clubs in the J-League over the years. However, ahead of the FIFA World Cup final, Hidaka, serving as Sagan Tosu's youth team coach, wants Messi to lift th...