The Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic will officiate the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday at the New York-New Jersey Stadium.

England, the great rival; Maradona in memory; another comeback in Atlanta, once again in extremis; the second consecutive World Cup final for the current champions, the third of Messi’s career, who at 39 years old seems eternal; Argentina recovers good football, the rage against the refrain of suspicions of gifts or help… After the semifinal, with emotions running high, at that moment with so many stimuli, Leo Messi cannot help but remember Barcelona, his club and his home. These are true feelings, crossing in moments of happiness.

In October 1980, Muhammad Ali returned to the ring to try to become world champion for the fourth time. Facing him was Larry Holmes, his former sparring partner, the man who had learned to strike by accompanying the master and who now occupied his throne. The fight was dubbed…

A team above all. The recipe for success of De la Fuente’s Spain is clear. No one is above the collective. Everyone works for the common good. The coach has managed to convince his players of the best path to the top. Everyone rows in the same direction and, for now, they have reached a World Cup final. But this great collective game is fueled by small details, by connections between individuals from which the team later feeds. Although it is almost impossible to highlight someone above the rest in the Spanish ranks, some pairs of players can be distinguished who have given solidity, brilliance, and reliability to the team. A chemistry that Luis de la Fuente has perfectly identified and enhances in his strategies.

Without the existence of La Masia, this Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain would be different. Heck, football in general would be different. The influence of the emblematic building, symbol of FC Barcelona’s youth academy as well as a very particular way of understanding this sport, has gone much further than imagined when it was established, back in 1979, as a residence for young footballers coming from outside Barcelona in order to group them together and keep them controlled, as they used to sleep scattered around.