Speaker 1: Today is the day, the twenty twenty six FIFA World
Cup Final, Argentina versus Spain MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford,
New Jersey, three pm Eastern, One game, one trophy, and
for Lionel Messi, one last shot at immortality. This is
everything the twenty twenty six World Cup deserved, the defending
champions against the team that has been the best in
this tournament. A rematch of the twenty twenty four Copa
America final where Argentina beats Spain one zero in a tight,
tense game in Miami. But this is not a Copa America.
This is the World Cup Final and the stakes could
not be higher. For Messi. This is almost certainly his
last World Cup game. At thirty nine years old, he
has carried Argentina to a second consecutive final. He won
the Copa America in twenty twenty four, he won the
World Cup in twenty twenty two, and now he has
a chance to do something no player has ever done,
win back to back World Cups. As the centerpiece of
his national team. Pele won three, but never consecutively, Maradonna
won one. Messi has already surpassed both of them in trophies.
Today he can cement the argument that he is the
greatest of all time, full stop. But Spain are not
going to make it easy. Spain have been the best
team in this tournament from the knockout rounds onward. They
beat Portugal with a stoppage time winner, they beat Belgium
with a goal in the eighty eighth minute, and they
dismantled France in the semi final two to zero in
a performance that was so convincing it made the tournament
favorites look ordinary. Fabi Ahn Ruiz, Rodri and Paedri have
been the best midfield trio in this World Cup. They
control possession, they wear teams down, They move the ball
with a patience that frustrates opponents who want to counterattack,
and when the moment comes, they strike with precision. Michel
eu Artha Bal has been clinical, Pedro poor row has
been decisive, and Spain's defense, anchored by Unai c Mona
in goal, has been stingy when it matters. The tactical
battle today is fascinating. Spain will have more of the
ball they always do. Argentina will sit, compact, absorb pressure
and look for transitions. If Spain's fullbacks Danny car Varhal
and Alejandro Grimaldeau push high the way they did against France.
Argentina's wide players could exploit the space on the break,
but if Spain's fullbacks stayed disciplined and tuck in, Argentina
will struggle to create chances. The midfield matchup is the
key rue Ease, Rodri and Pedri against mac r Listaya,
Enzo Fernandez and Rodrigo de Paul. If Spain's trio dominates
possession the way they did against France, Argentina will be
in trouble. But if Argentina's midfield can disrupt Spain's rhythm,
win second balls and force Spain into rushed passes, the
game opens up for Messi to work his magic. And
then there is the Messi factor. He is not the
player he was in twenty twenty two. He is not
running past defenders the way he did against Croatia in
the semifinal three years ago, but his vision, his passing,
and his ability to find space in congested areas is
still elite. If Argentina get him the ball in the
final third with time to pick a pass, Spain's defense
will be tested. Huli an Alvarez has been the breakout
star for Argentina in the knockout rounds. Lauta Ro Martinez
has scored decisive late goals, and Enzo Fernandez, who produced
the equalizer against England in the semifinal, has shown he
can score when Argentina needed most. Argentina's strength is not
just Messi, it is the supporting cast that has stepped
up at the biggest moments. The venue today is MetLife Stadium,
the biggest stadium in the New York metropolitan area, eighty
two thousand fans, and the crowd will be overwhelmingly pro Argentina.
New Jersey has one of the largest Argentine communities in
the United States. The stadium will be a sea of
blue and white. Messi will feel like he is playing
in Buenos Aires. But Spain do not care about the crowd.
They have beaten Portugal, Belgium and France in consecutive knockout rounds.
They have played in hostile atmospheres before, and they have
the confidence that comes from knowing they are the best
team in this tournament. If Spain win today, they will
have beaten four elite teams on their way to the trophy. Portugal, Belgium,
France and Argentina. That would be one of the most
dominant World Cup runs in history, and it would mark
the arrival of a new Golden generation Pedri Garvey la
min Yamal if he were healthy, and the corps that
won the twenty twenty four European Championship. If Argentina win,
Messi wins his second consecutive World Cup, he becomes the
first player to captain back to back champions since Italy's
Vittorio Pozso in nineteen thirty four and nineteen thirty eight,
and he ends his international career with two World Cups,
two Copper Americas, and an argument that no player in
history has ever achieved more. There is no middle ground. Today,
one of these teams will lift the trophy. The other
will watch from the sideline. The twenty twenty six FIFA
World Cup Final, Argentina versus Spain, three pm Eastern MetLife Stadium.
Do not miss this quick note. This show is reduced
with the help of AI