•Spain’s forward Lamine Yamal and Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi’s battle-hardened Argentina take on silky Spain in the World Cup final today as the first 48-team tournament in history reaches a climax in New Jersey.
The South Americans are striving to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, while Spain are eyeing a second title after their maiden victory in 2010, reports AFP.
Today showpiece is likely to be the final World Cup appearance for Messi, widely considered the greatest player of all time.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni urged fans to make the most of seeing the diminutive genius lead out his team at MetLife Stadium at the age of 39.
“He has made history. He is a legend,” Scaloni said of the former Barcelona player, who helped Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
The three-time champions have shown an astonishing never-say-die attitude during the 2026 tournament.
They recovered from 2-0 down in the closing stages against Egypt in the last 16 and mounted another dramatic comeback in the final minutes of their semi-final against England.
Spain, on the other hand, have been almost flawless, conceding just a single goal in their seven matches so far and sweeping past France in the semi-finals.
Spain captain Rodri said he was bracing for a “physical” battle and would aim to ignore any possible “provocations”.
“It will be a more physical one, and we must be prepared,” said the midfielder.
“But I believe that if we are known for something in this national team, it is that we know how to play different games based on the moment.”
Yesterday, England beat France 6-4 in a high-scoring thriller to seal third place — their best finish since they won the tournament in 1966.
Kylian Mbappe became the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals — one ahead of Messi, who can reclaim the record today.
US President Donald Trump will be among the 80,000-strong crowd at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford — the first game he has attended in the tournament.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will also attend, meaning the leaders of all three host nations will be present.
A galaxy of A-list stars will be performing, from Tom Cruise in the pre-game closing ceremony to Madonna and Shakira in the half-time show — the first in World Cup history.
Trump on Friday hailed the tournament as “the most successful sporting event, maybe in the history of the world” as he held a reception in New York with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino.
Infantino also reached for hyperbole, saying the event had “exceeded all expectations”.
“This has not just been and is not just the greatest World Cup of all times,” Infantino said.
“It is the greatest human, social, and cultural event that mankind has ever witnessed,” he said.
KICK OFF TIME
Spain versus Argentina kick-off time is 8pm Nigerian time.
TEAMS AT A GLANCE
SPAIN SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: David Raya, Joan Garcia, Unai Simon
Defenders: Marc Pubill, Alex Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Marcos Llorente, Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella
Midfielders: Mikel Merino, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi, Alex Baena, Rodri, Martin Zubimendi, Pedri
Forwards: Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, Yeremy Pino, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Victor Munoz, Borja Iglesias
ARGENTINA SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Juan Musso, Geronimo Rulli, Emiliano Martinez
Defenders: Marcos Senesi, Nicolas Tagliafico, Gonzalo Montiel, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Nahuel Molina
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Valentin Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Nicolas Gonzalez, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez
Forwards: Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi, Thiago Almada, Giuliano Simeone, Nicolas Paz, Jose Manuel Lopez, Lautaro Martinez
