NEW YORK : Argentina and Spain will finally settle a meeting long delayed when they face off in Sunday’s World Cup final, with Lionel Messi chasing another title against a Spanish side seeking to cap an unbeaten run with a second world crown.
The champions of South America and Europe had been due to meet in the Finalissima earlier this year before the match was cancelled following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Now, instead of contesting a ceremonial intercontinental title, they will meet on football’s biggest stage with the World Cup at stake.
The final pits Argentina’s resilience and emotion against Spain’s measured, possession-based style in a contest filled with personal connections stretching from the dugout to Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy.
Argentina have reached a second consecutive World Cup final four years after Messi finally lifted the trophy in Qatar. At 39, the captain has continued to defy age, inspiring Lionel Scaloni’s side with decisive goals and assists throughout the tournament.
Their title defence has been built on resilience rather than dominance.
With 17 members of the squad returning from their 2022 triumph, Argentina needed extra time to beat Cape Verde in the round of 32 before surviving tense knockout victories over Egypt, Switzerland and England.
Messi’s performances have again fuelled debate over his place among football’s greatest players as he bids to end what could be his final World Cup campaign with another title.
Spain, by contrast, have progressed with remarkable consistency.
Unbeaten in 37 matches, the European champions are aiming to lift the World Cup for the second time after their 2010 triumph and surpass Italy’s international unbeaten record set between 2018 and 2021.
Having arrived in North America as one of the favourites after winning the European Championship, Luis de la Fuente’s side have combined control in possession with tactical discipline, overwhelming opponents with their collective understanding.
That cohesion was on full display in the semi-final victory over France.
Spain’s creativity has been spearheaded by teenage winger Lamine Yamal, whose rapid rise has drawn inevitable comparisons with Messi.
The pair share one of football’s most famous photographs, showing a young Messi bathing baby Lamine during a Barcelona charity calendar shoot nearly two decades ago.
Asked whether Messi had passed on his talent in that moment, Lamine’s father joked: “Who’s to say it wasn’t the other way round?”
The final also carries a coaching subplot.
Scaloni will come up against De la Fuente, who taught him during a Spanish Football Federation coaching course nearly a decade ago.
Conditions could also influence the outcome.
Players and coaches have criticised the surface at New York New Jersey Stadium during the tournament, with concerns it could disrupt Spain’s passing game and favour the more direct, physical contests Argentina have repeatedly embraced.
Forecasts also point to hot and humid weather, with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius (86°F), while wildfire smoke drifting from Canada has raised air-quality concerns ahead of the match expected to attract more than 80,000 spectators.
Spain will seek to impose their patient possession game, while Argentina are likely to embrace the unpredictable moments that have defined their run to the final.
At the heart of it all will be Messi, hoping to end what may be his final World Cup appearance with one more triumph on football’s biggest stage.
