Lionel Messi turned to Instagram on Sunday, hours before Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 final against Spain, to tell the country's fans and his own dressing room that whatever unfolds on the pitch in New York, this group has already carved out a permanent place in Argentina's football history.
A message before the biggest night
In a lengthy note posted on Instagram, the Argentina captain looked back on his years leading the national team and said the real reward from this era was never just the trophies. He wrote about the daily routine of training and competing together, of pulling each other up through difficult moments, and of enjoying every single step of the ride, calling that shared journey the most beautiful part of it all. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner then thanked his teammates, the coaching staff and everyone who works every day behind the scenes, crediting them with keeping the national team feeling like a family through the highs and lows of the past several years.
Messi made clear that Sunday's result, either way, would not change how this group is remembered. "Whatever happens tomorrow, this group has already written a history that we will never forget and that no one can ever erase," he wrote, before closing his post with a rallying cry for the team.
How Argentina fought back past England
Argentina arrived in the final as the reigning FIFA World Cup champions, but they had to come from behind to get there. In a thrilling semifinal against England, Lionel Scaloni's side found themselves trailing at the interval before staging a turnaround for a 2-1 win. Enzo Fernandez pulled Argentina level, and Lautaro Martinez then struck deep into stoppage time to complete the comeback and send the defending champions through to face Spain in the final. The result also brought a heartbreaking end to England's hopes of reaching a first World Cup final since 1966.
Spain's composed win over France
On the other side of the draw, Spain reached the World Cup final for the first time since they won the trophy in 2010, beating France 2-0 with a composed, controlled performance. Lamine Yamal was at the heart of the breakthrough, dispossessing Lucas Digne inside the box to win a penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal then converted the resulting penalty in the 22nd minute to put Spain ahead. Spain doubled their advantage after the break through Pedro Porro, who finished off a fine move involving Dani Olmo, while France struggled for long spells to fashion clear chances of their own against a well-organised Spanish defence.
Yamal also saw a goal disallowed for offside during the match, and late on France searched for a way back through Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni, but Spain's back line held firm to preserve the clean sheet, their sixth in seven matches at this tournament. The win confirmed Spain's second-ever appearance in a World Cup final and set up the summit clash with Messi's Argentina.
What the two coaches said before kickoff
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente previewed the final by predicting an open, attacking contest between two sides built on similar footballing ideas, saying both teams are set up to let talent, quality and good football take precedence over any other factor. "There are two top-class sides, two superb teams with many similarities in their approach to the game and in the talent of their players," he said.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said his side had prepared for the final the way it prepares for every match, by studying the opponent closely and focusing on delivering its own best performance. He noted that Argentina are now a well-known team to every rival they face, which he said makes reaching this final on merit an even bigger achievement for the squad. "We need to bring out our best version to try to win," Scaloni said during the pre-match press conference. He also spoke warmly about Messi reaching another World Cup final at the age of 39, calling it an incredible achievement and saying the squad owes a great deal to the story and the legend that Messi and this generation of players have built together over the years.
What is riding on Sunday's final
Argentina head into the match as the defending world champions, chasing back-to-back World Cup titles for Messi and his teammates. Spain arrive as the reigning European champions after their UEFA Euro 2024 triumph, and are chasing their first World Cup crown since 2010, a wait of one and a half decades since their only previous win. The final will be staged at the New York New Jersey Stadium, with Spain and Argentina kicking off on Sunday, local time, closing out a tournament in which both finalists have shown they can fight back under pressure, whether that was Argentina's semifinal comeback or Spain's calm, defensively solid win over France. For Messi, at 39 and playing in another World Cup final, it is a stage on which, in his own words, this Argentina group has nothing left to prove, whatever the final score turns out to be.
