FIFA organized an event with fans on Eleventh Avenue in New York, touching the Hudson River. And although his presence was not announced, Leo Messi appeared there accompanied by Lionel Scaloni and goalkeeper Dibu Martínez. Rodri and Luis de la Fuente joined the three of them. There, less than 48 hours before the final, the captain of Argentina showered praise on Lamine Yamal. “Lamine is a great player, he is a world reference at 19 years old,” said the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
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The 2026 World Cup will be the second for the Argentine or the first for the one from Rocafonda. Both are left-footed, trained at La Masia, and will face each other for the first time at MetLife Stadium.
That photo is crazy. He was a baby and now we are going to face each other in a World Cup final”
Leo Messi
Captain of Argentina
But there are also things that separate them. Exactly 19 years. And another thing that unites them: a charity photo from a UNICEF calendar made in 2009 in which the former Barça footballer bathes a baby Lamine. “That photo is crazy. He was a baby and now we are going to face each other in a World Cup final,” recalled Leo, who for the first time referred to that image responding to a question from Tom Brady.
In Messi’s words, Barcelona came up again, the club of his life and the colors of both. “Lamine is a great player, I follow him a lot because he plays for a club I love, Barcelona.
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The opponent also plays and you can’t always win. As a child I learned that you lose more than you win, that made me grow as a person”
Leo Messi
Captain of Argentina
He is a world reference at 19 years old, he has his whole career ahead of him. He can achieve something historic (winning the World Cup at 19) although we will try not to let that happen. I wish him good luck because his luck will be Barcelona’s,” he wished looking to the future.
That said, the World Cup final is another matter. Because there Spain and Argentina face off. “We will try to do a good job so that Lamine does not have a great game. Spain is not just Lamine but we also have our weapons,” Messi analyzed amid cheers from the fans.
Kevin Durant and Novak Djokovic were also present at the event. The tennis player asked Messi how he feels about people who don’t want him to do well in his sport. There the number ten leaned on a phrase from Scaloni, his coach. “We Argentines grew up playing football, for fun and always with a lot of desire. It is natural to have fun and compete. The opponent also plays and you can’t always win. As a child I learned that you lose more than you win, that made me grow as a person,” reflected the forward, curiously the one considered the most decorated footballer in history with 47 titles.
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