France ended up swallowed by a whirlwind. Germany didn’t even compete. Brazil is no longer Brazil. Italy didn’t even travel. The World Cup waits for no one. Only the best. This is how the most anticipated final has been shaped, and judging by what has been seen over the last month in the stands of the stadiums spread across Canada, the United States, and Mexico, the duel between the two great crowd favorites. Spain and Argentina. Challenger and champion. De la Fuente and Scaloni. Lamine Yamal and Leo Messi – long live La Masia –. All, with the skyline of Manhattan in the background. What a final.
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Spain has proven to be the best team in the tournament. It is the team that defends best and one of the best at attacking. Argentina boasts having the best footballer of all time, an indisputable label for a Messi who at 39 years old remains decisive at the highest levels. Spain is family. Argentina is pure heart. Two auteur teams face to face, with many similarities and, at the same time, completely opposite. Spain is a Formula 1, a perfectly designed machine in which all the parts work perfectly. Argentina is a rally car, capable of overcoming any curve and returning the wheels to the road with a sharp steering. Just ask England. Or Egypt.
Argentina fights for its fourth title with a Messi who will be the first to start in three World Cup finals
This World Cup couldn’t have a better final, in which no matter how much he tried, Trump had to settle for a secondary role. The Balogun scandal is now a vague memory. The players, the goals, and the passion have overtaken him on the right and on the left. Hallelujah.
Although there is no doubt that Lamine Yamal and Leo Messi will be the headliners in this final, the match starts on the bench. Because if the one from Rocafonda and the one from Rosario share training in Barcelona and an iconic photo that not even artificial intelligence would have imagined, De la Fuente and Scaloni share much more than a job. The man from La Rioja was one of the mentors of the Argentine while he was studying to get his license and, since then, their relationship has been very close. They embraced warmly during one of the events that took place on Friday, in the official pre-final. “I keep it to myself,” Scaloni replied with a sly smile when asked what he had whispered to his colleague. “He doesn’t know me that well, we don’t talk tactics,” he added, now with a laugh.
Spain and Argentina share a taste for having the ball, for dominating the opponent through possession, but it could be said that De la Fuente is more eager for things to happen and Scaloni is more comfortable watching them come. Two paths that meet at some points but diverge greatly at others. The man from La Rioja has been more in the spotlight. His work leading la roja during these last almost two months has been impeccable. All his decisions have been right. His predictions have come true. His plan has worked step by step. And he has earned many merits on the way to the final. Scaloni, whose record seems almost equally impeccable, with a calm and constructive demeanor, a terrible enemy because it seems impossible not to want to hug him with that kind and approachable tone he always shows, has remained somewhat in the shadow of Leo Messi’s feats. It’s normal, but that doesn’t reduce his danger. If De la Fuente knows Scaloni well, the path to the other side is also clear. The tactical battle promises to be beautiful.
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Sixteen years after the South Africa final, after Iniesta’s eternal goal, after that unforgettable dedication to Dani Jarque, the Spanish national team has earned the right to dream of embroidering the second star on its chest. It is riding the crest of the wave, in an absolutely impressive cycle. Its victory in the last Euro Cup was brilliant, overwhelming, and it has shown in the World Cup that it remains the best team in the Old Continent. But now, three months after that failed Finalissima, it must prove it on the biggest stage in the world against the reigning champion. A challenge that seems designed for this team, which likes the green field much more than the spotlights, to which it is not easy to reproach anything. It almost always wins and, when it doesn’t, it falls with its head held high. A team that has gone 38 official matches without knowing defeat. Unheard of.
The Spanish national team seeks to confirm itself as a worthy heir to the heroes of 2010 with a victory
After a tournament in which it has been improving but without reaching its peak, Lamine Yamal, already turned into a popular phenomenon of biblical proportions, plays the match that can definitively mark his career. There is no bigger spotlight than the one that shines on a World Cup final. The one from Rocafonda has been limping in recent days after Digne’s kick in the semifinals that resulted in the penalty. He even missed a day of training, but according to the locker room, he is in perfect shape to face the challenge. Opposite him will be Leo Messi, who will become the first footballer to start in three World Cup finals (2014, 2022, 2026). With the echoes of Argentina’s victory in Qatar four years ago still resounding, la Pulga does not ease up. He is insatiable. No one dares to say anymore that this could be his last World Cup match as was the case in Qatar. Who would dare now.
And so, with ingredients from the highest cuisine, we arrive at the main course. The 2026 World Cup final. The duel between the best team in the tournament and the best footballer in the universe. The final of finals.
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