Ahead of the match against Spain, Lionel Messi showed special respect for Lamine Yamal, but asserted that Argentina is capable of defending the world crown.
Lionel Messi made his first appearance at a pre-match press conference at the 2026 World Cup, as he and the Argentina national team prepared to enter the final match against Spain at the New York New Jersey stadium.
Instead of speaking much about pressure, the Argentina captain emphasized the passion and spirit of enjoying football that had been formed since childhood. That is also the foundation that helps him and his teammates maintain their composure before the biggest match of the tournament.
“Just like what our coach said, we grew up with football with all our passion, always yearning to play, to enjoy, and to have fun, no matter where. It could be school, the street, or in a team. We all started from neighborhood teams when we were children,” Messi shared.
“I think back then we never thought about pressure. We considered playing football and enjoying it to be completely natural. This is a competitive collective, we love to win, but football is a team sport. The opponent plays football too and you cannot always win. From a young age, I understood that I would lose more than I win. That helped me grow, both as a person and as a player.”
One of the biggest focal points of the final is the confrontation between Messi and Lamine Yamal. The two players represent two generations that once had a special connection from 2007, when Messi took a photo with Yamal when the young Spanish talent was still a baby in a charity program by Barcelona and UNICEF. Nearly 19 years later, they meet in the most prestigious match of world football.
“Lamine Yamal is an exceptional player. I follow him a lot because he is playing for the team that I love and I always hope for the best things to come to that club,” Messi said.
Messi continued: “At the age of 19, he is already a representative face of world football and still has his entire career ahead of him. Lamine Yamal is having a great opportunity to make history, but we will try our best so that it doesn’t happen this time. I wish him all the best. The story of that photo is truly unbelievable, because that is just life.”
Messi also admitted that finding a way to stop his junior at Barcelona will not be an easy task: “I have a photo taken with Lamine Yamal when he was a baby. Now, we face each other in a World Cup final. That is crazy. He is currently one of the best players in the world. I wish Lamine Yamal a lot of luck, because the good things that come to him will also benefit Barcelona.”
“However, we will try to play a really good match so that he cannot display his best version. That is very difficult, but we will try. Lamine Yamal is just like Spain, they possess wonderful players and a very good style of play. Even so, Argentina also has our own weapons.”
Argentina enters the final with the objective of becoming the first team to successfully defend the World Cup championship since Brazil in 1962, while Spain is aiming for their second world star.
