Argentina will take on Spain in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday night, and Lionel Messi has spoken to the media for the first time ahead of the highly anticipated clash. The Argentina captain praised Spain’s young star Lamine Yamal — but made clear that if Yamal wants to make history, he will have to wait a little longer.
Messi was joined at the pre-final media event in New York by head coach Lionel Scaloni and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. The Argentina captain spoke about his love of football, his mentality when handling pressure, and his thoughts on Yamal.
At one point during the discussion, Messi said, “Yamal is an extraordinary footballer. I have been following him for a long time because he plays for a club — Barcelona — that I love deeply. At just 17 years old, he has already become an icon of world football. He has his entire career ahead of him and a tremendous opportunity to make history. But we will do everything in our power to make sure that does not happen this time.”
The Argentina captain also reflected on the now-famous photograph of him holding a young Yamal as a baby. “When that photo was taken, he was just a little child,” Messi said. “And now I will be facing him in a World Cup final — it is truly incredible. These are the kinds of things that happen in football, in life. Now he is one of the best players in the world.”
Alongside his praise, however, Messi was equally clear about his competitive intentions. “I want his future to be bright, because what is good for him is good for Barcelona too. But in the final, we will try our best to stop him from playing his best football. That will not be easy — Spain have many excellent players and their style of play is outstanding. But we also have our own strengths, and we believe in them.”
Spain reached the final of the 2026 World Cup by defeating France 2-0 in the first semi-final on Tuesday night. The following day, Argentina joined them after defeating England 2-1 in the second semi-final.
