Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team are set to face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Messi, who has been a standout performer for Argentina, expressed his team’s commitment, stating, “We will give it our all.” This final match concludes a tournament that has featured over 100 games and spanned more than a month.
The anticipation for the final was highlighted at Fanatics Fest in New York on Friday night, where Messi made what was expected to be his final public appearance before the match. The event, a four-day celebration of sports, served as the backdrop for FIFA’s preview news conferences, offering hundreds of attendees a rare glimpse of Messi. Spain captain Rodri emphasized Messi’s significance, remarking, “It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player and what he means for Argentina. Obviously, for me, he’s the greatest of all times.”
The preview event at Fanatics Fest featured a unique format where sports legends interviewed the players and coaches. Tom Brady, Novak Djokovic, and Kevin Durant were among the notable figures present. Brady questioned Messi about a viral photo featuring him with a young Lamine Yamal, now a Spain star. Djokovic asked Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and Messi about handling pressure, and later posed similar questions to Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and captain Rodri. Durant inquired with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez about the prospect of winning consecutive World Cups.
Both the Argentina and Spain teams appeared to enjoy the interactive session. Coach Scaloni downplayed the magnitude of the upcoming match, saying, “It’s one more game. We cannot really think about the fact that it’s a World Cup final.” Martinez, however, underscored the team’s dedication, stating, “We’ve got a group of players and a group of coaches that are working incredibly hard every single day to try to bring happiness to my country. We’re going to give absolutely our best, with Leo, with the team that we have, to bring the World Cup back to my country and celebrate with our people.”
Argentina’s journey to the final has been marked by resilience. As the defending champions, they remain the only unbeaten and untied team in the tournament, holding a 7-0-0 record. Spain, with a 6-0-1 record, drew their opening match against Cape Verde. Argentina’s path included rallying from a 1-0 deficit against England in the semifinals and a 2-0 deficit against Egypt in the Round of 16. They also went into extra time against Cape Verde in the Round of 32 and Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Messi highlighted this fighting spirit, remarking, “I’ve said many times: We never stop fighting.”
Spain’s performance has also been strong since their initial draw. They have scored 13 goals and conceded only once, including a 2-0 victory over France in the semifinals. The final will feature the top two teams according to FIFA’s pre-tournament rankings, with Argentina ranked No. 1 and Spain No. 2. Both teams are undefeated heading into the final match.
The World Cup final is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium. The match will be broadcast on TSN and available for streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN+ app, as well as the Crave app. Select Cineplex movie theatre locations will also be showing the game. For the first time, the World Cup will feature a halftime show, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, with performances by Madonna, Shakira, Burna Boy, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Gustavo Dudamel. Characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets are also expected to make appearances during the 11-minute halftime show. The tournament’s closing ceremony, featuring Post Malone, will begin an hour and a half before kickoff at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Messi, who has scored eight goals and provided four assists in seven games, leads the tournament’s scoring leaderboard. He aims to secure his second consecutive World Cup trophy, which would make Argentina only the third nation to win back-to-back tournaments. The last team to achieve this feat was Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Messi’s career total now stands at 21 goals across the six tournaments he has participated in, setting a new World Cup record. Lautaro Martínez and Enzo Fernández are also key players for Argentina. For Spain, Mikel Oyarzabal has been a significant contributor with five goals and one assist in the tournament, while winger Lamine Yamal, despite a quiet tournament, is recognized for his potential to impact the game.
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Source: tsn.ca
