Lionel Messi’s final message before Argentina face Spain was delivered in an unusual setting: a public event at Fanatics Fest in New York, where the captain appeared alongside coach Lionel Scaloni and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. With the FIFA World Cup final set for Sunday, 19 July, at New York New Jersey Stadium, Messi said Argentina would “give it our all” as the defending champions pursue another title.
The setting underlined the scale of the occasion. Rather than a closed media room, the event put Argentina’s leading figures in front of fans and athletes from other sports. AP reported that the expected global audience for the final could reach about 1.5 billion people. For Messi, who is 39 and playing in his sixth World Cup, it is a third final after Argentina’s 2014 defeat to Germany and 2022 victory over France.
Argentina arrive with a perfect 7-0-0 tournament record. Their semi-final against England showed why: after falling behind, Enzo Fernández scored in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez headed the winner in stoppage time, with Messi assisting both goals. The comeback sent the holders into the final against a Spain side that has gone 6-0-1 and conceded only one goal in the tournament.
The captain’s comments also kept the focus on Argentina’s collective approach. FIFA quoted Messi saying the team plays with passion, enjoyment and a competitive instinct, while accepting that football is a team sport and that the opponent matters. That is a measured frame for a match carrying historic stakes: Argentina seek a fourth World Cup and would become the first side since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 to win successive men’s titles.
Spain bring a different kind of test. The 2010 champions have built their run on control and defence, while Argentina have scored 19 goals, the tournament’s highest total according to AP. The final is scheduled for 15:00 local time (19:00 UTC) in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and will be Match 104 of the first 48-team, 104-match World Cup.
For supporters, the public appearance offered a last glimpse of Messi before the tournament’s decisive 90 minutes — or longer. The result will settle whether Argentina’s unbeaten run ends with a successful title defence or whether Spain add a second world crown to their 2010 triumph.