What both teams said ahead of the World Cup final

Following Spain’s commanding 2-0 victory over heavy favorite France, and England’s late collapse against the defending champions, all eyes are turned to the final match of the World Cup at MetLife Stadium.

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Spain sits as -152 favorites against Messi and Argentina, who hold +372 odds to win, according to FanDuel. However, according to the odds, Spain and Argentina were expected to play in the consolation game, and instead, the FIFA men’s rankings played out as Argentina and Spain proved their rankings as the top- and second-ranked teams.

Spain vs. Argentina

Winning his first World Cup title in Qatar, many believed it might have been Messi’s final World Cup appearance. He was 35 and finally got his hands on the one major trophy that had long evaded his grasp, leaving him with seemingly nothing left to prove.

But Messi still felt the need to prove something to himself — that he could contribute to Argentina, even at the age of 39, per The Athletic.

“Anyone else would have retired after winning it in 2022,” former teammate Xavi said. “But he’s such a competitive animal.”

Now, proving Argentina as a top two team, despite controversies along the way, Messi had a message following the victory over England.

“Once again, we’ve established ourselves among the top two teams in the world,” he said. “That proves that everything we’ve done is no fluke and that nothing was handed to us. Reaching two consecutive World Cup finals is something very few achieve, and this group did it.”

But Sunday’s match could be about the coming of a new superstar as one heads out.

Declaring on Instagram, “Nuevayol (New York) we’re coming for you,” 19-year-old Lamine Yamal appears ready for the occasion.

If the teenager can help Spain hoist the trophy this weekend, he will meet new heights of stardom at such an early stage of his career. He is already considered Messi’s “heir apparent” by many, according to Yahoo Sports, and it could be a game about the future or a game where the past still rules.

After Spain’s defeat of the “one of the best national teams in the world,” Spain manager Luis De la Fuente said his squad was “the best team in the world.”

“These players deserve everything — day after day they’ve showed their commitment, their solidarity, their generosity, their talent. They make the difficult look easy.”

The teams meet Sunday at 1 p.m. MDT on Fox.

Messi with baby Yamal

The final between Argentina and Spain will be the first meeting between Yamal and Messi on the pitch, but it will not be the first time the two have met in life.

Nearly two decades ago, the 20-year-old Argentine star did a promotional charity photo shoot while he played for FC Barcelona, posing with an infant Yamal, creating a connection between the two early in Messi’s career.

Yamal’s parents won a charity raffle for the United Nations Charity Fund, known as UNICEF. He was only 6 months old when he was one of the lucky winners of the raffle, per Fox.

Messi has not publicly commented on the photos but he has praised Yamal as “the best” in previous comments.

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“There is a new generation of footballers who are very good and who have many years ahead of them, but if I have to choose one because of age, for what he has done so far and for the future he may have, it is Lamine,” he told Dario Sport.

“There’s no doubt, for me, he’s the best.”

Air quality for the big finale

As wildfires rage throughout the country, New York-New Jersey is one of the most affected areas, including Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh.

Concerns were raised about the worst air quality readings in years for the area.

One altered image showed a “preview” of what the World Cup could look like if conditions stay the same.

A Major League Soccer match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Fire taking place in Chicago was postponed due to poor air quality.

However, as conditions improve, FIFA is not concerned, sources told ESPN.

England vs. France

As both teams experienced disappointment in the semifinals, the consolation game between England and France features French star Kylian Mbappé, who is in the running for the tournament’s Golden Boot award, recognizing the tournament’s top scorer.

Mbappé and Messi are tied at eight goals apiece thus far.

France, World Cup favorites for much of the tournament, failed to do much against Spain’s tactical approach, failing to attend its third consecutive final.

“The English team doesn’t want to play, and neither do we, but there is an objective, there is a game to play,” departing France manager Didier Deschamps said at a conference. “The players, the staff and I have the duty to give it all and reach this last objective, less important than winning a final, but we are here.”

Deschamps won a World Cup as a player in 1998 and coached the team as it won again in 2018, and made the final and semifinal the past two times.

“I know that the final curtain falls tomorrow,” he said.

“No one here is going to cry, but I know I’ll miss the French team. For 15 years, I had the privilege of experiencing moments that were magical, and others that were difficult.”

Calling himself a “positive person,” he said his team has a duty to give it all and “reach this last objective.”

England’s manager Thomas Tuchel was adamant about his team’s feelings toward playing in the consolation game.

“None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match,” Tuchel told reporters.

“They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is. We have one less day of recovery than France, but we will do it with professionalism.”

It seems the biggest thing at stake here is the Golden Boot Award.

Both teams meet in Miami at Hard-Rock Stadium for the match taking place at 1 p.m. MDT.

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