After 39 days and 103 matches, the FIFA World Cup 2026 comes down to one final showdown.
Holders Argentina face European champions Spain in New Jersey on Sunday in a match that promises to be remembered for far more than the trophy on offer.
As the two teams walk on to the pitch in front of thousands of supporters, much of the spotlight will fall on two players at opposite ends of their careers: Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, 39, and Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, 19.
For many, the FIFA World Cup final in the U.S. represents a symbolic passing of the baton, from arguably the greatest player of his generation to the teenager widely tipped to define the next.
“Leo Messi is a player who stands out,” Spain captain Rodri told a pre-match press conference in New York on Friday.
Speaking through a FIFA translator, he added: “I don’t think words are needed to express the kind of player he is or what he means to Argentina.
“To me, he is evidently one of the greatest players of all time – a player who managed to lead his national team to World Cup glory.”
The photograph that captivated the world
A photograph from 2007 showing a young Messi holding baby Yamal during a UNICEF fundraising campaign has gone viral in recent days.
At the time, the Argentinian was three years into his Barcelona career and only a year older than Yamal is today.
He went on to win 35 trophies during a glittering 17-year career at Camp Nou after graduating from the club’s youth system.
Seven years after the photograph was taken, the child pictured in the blue bathtub would join Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy.
Yamal, widely viewed as his natural successor, is one of eight Barcelona players in Spain’s World Cup squad, alongside goalkeeper Joan García, defenders Pau Cubarsí and Eric García, midfielders Gavi and Dani Olmo, forward Ferran Torres and captain Rodri.
“That picture was crazy,” Messi told Fanatics Fest, a FIFA fan festival, via a translator.
“That picture was crazy, him as a baby, and now we are facing each other. What a crazy picture. And to be part of Barcelona as well.
“[Yamal is] one of the best players in the world right now, so I wish him the best. He’s only 19 years old, and he has a huge future ahead [of him].
“He has the opportunity to make history, but we’re also going to give it our best,” he added.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/lionel-messi-lamine-yamal-head-to-head-argentina-spain-world-cup-final-2026
