Two days before Argentina attempt to defend their World Cup crown, head coach Lionel Scaloni stood before a ticketed crowd at Manhattan’s Javits Center and described Lionel Messi as “pure history, a legend”. The 39-year-old captain, aiming for a second consecutive title, sat alongside him and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez at a FIFA-run fan event that turned the pre-final press conference into a commercial spectacle. Scaloni’s words, reported across Argentine and international media, set the tone for a final that pits the South American champions against a Spain side unbeaten in 37 matches.

Argentina’s path to the MetLife Stadium decider was forged through a series of tense knockout performances. A quarter-final victory over Switzerland was followed by a semi-final comeback against England, a match that Argentine outlets describe as having cemented the squad’s reputation for resilience. Scaloni acknowledged that his team is “known by rivals” and therefore reaching a second straight final carries “double merit”. The coach insisted no player carries an injury into the match, a detail confirmed by the Argentine news agency NA, and that the squad would need “our best version” to overcome Spain.

Viewed from Buenos Aires, the final is freighted with more than sporting ambition. Scaloni spoke repeatedly of the bond between the team and its public, noting that the Albiceleste had “recovered something very valuable: that a River fan and a Boca fan embrace in front of the television”. Argentine commentators highlight this as a rare moment of national unity, with the possibility of becoming the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962 adding historical weight. Spanish media, meanwhile, focus on the tactical duel: Scaloni himself noted that both sides “think alike” in their desire to dominate possession, a similarity that, in his view, makes Spain the toughest challenge Argentina have faced.

Messi’s own reflections, carried by multiple Spanish-language outlets, centred on a childhood spent playing “in the street, in school, with neighbourhood teams” where pressure was never a concept. He added that he learned early “you lose more than you win”, a perspective he credits for his longevity. The forward also addressed the widely circulated photograph of himself with a baby Lamine Yamal, calling the coincidence “crazy” and praising the 19-year-old Spaniard as “one of the best in the world”. British press reports note that Scaloni, when asked if this would be Messi’s final international appearance, replied: “What do I know? Ask him. He doesn’t stop surprising us.”

The final, scheduled for Sunday afternoon local time, will determine whether Argentina can emulate the Brazilian sides of 1958 and 1962. For Spain, a first World Cup triumph since 2010 is at stake. Scaloni’s closing message, echoed in French and Argentine dispatches, was that the occasion must remain “a great festival of football” between two teams that have earned their place. The next concrete sporting consequence is immediate: a world champion will be crowned in New Jersey, and the result will either extend Messi’s international career or close its most storied chapter.