- Sunday’s final will likely be Messi’s last World Cup appearance.
- The Argentine coach says that the “legend” Messi has made history.
- Spain is seeking its second title after its first victory in 2010.
EAST RUTHERFORD: Lionel Messi’s scrappy Argentina take on silky Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, as the first-ever 48-team tournament reaches its climax in New Jersey.
The South Americans are striving to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive World Cups, while Spain is seeking a second title after its first victory in 2010.
After concerns in recent days that the final could be affected by smoke from wildfires in Canada that have blanketed the eastern US states, there were blue skies over New Jersey on Sunday morning.
The showpiece at MetLife Stadium, the culmination of the 104-game tournament, will likely be the last World Cup appearance for Messi, widely considered the greatest player of all time.
US President Donald Trump will be among the 80,000 people who will gather in East Rutherford, the first game he will attend in the tournament.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will also attend, meaning the leaders of all three host countries will be present.
A galaxy of A-list stars will perform, from Tom Cruise at the pre-match closing ceremony to Madonna and Shakira at the halftime show, the first in World Cup history.
Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni has urged fans to make the most of watching the diminutive genius Messi lead his team at the age of 39.
“He has made history. He is a legend,” said Scaloni about the former Barcelona player, who helped Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
The three-time champions have shown an amazing never-give-up attitude during the 2026 tournament.
They recovered from a late 2-0 deficit against Egypt in the round of 16 and pulled off another spectacular comeback in the final minutes of their semi-final against England.
Spain, on the other hand, have been almost flawless, conceding just one goal in their seven matches so far and beating France in the semi-finals, gaining momentum with each match.
Their captain, Rodri, said he was preparing for a “physical” battle and would try to ignore any possible “provocation.”
“It will be a more physical game and we must be prepared,” said the midfielder. “But I think that if we are characterized by something in this team, it is by knowing how to play different games depending on the moment.”
Spain has in the talented 19-year-old Lamine Yamal the player who will one day inherit the mantle of the best in the world, but his strength in this tournament has been his collective play, not his individual performances.
Bronze seal of England
On Saturday, England defeated France 6-4 in a high-scoring thriller to seal third place, their best finish since winning the tournament in 1966.
Kylian Mbappé became the competition’s all-time top scorer with 22 goals, one more than Messi, who can regain the record on Sunday.
The French star has 10 goals for the 2026 tournament, two more than Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
“I would have preferred not to be the top scorer of all time and play tomorrow’s game,” Mbappé said.
Trump on Friday hailed the tournament as “the most successful sporting event, perhaps in the history of the world,” while hosting a reception in New York with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino.
Infantino also went into hyperbole, saying that the event had “exceeded all expectations.”
“This has not been and is not simply the best World Cup of all time,” Infantino said. “It is the greatest human, social and cultural event that humanity has ever witnessed.”
