Messi: We'll try to ensure Lamine doesn't show his best on Sunday

Lionel Messi was part of Argentina's final press conference ahead of the 2026 World Cup final, where the "Albiceleste" will defend their world title against Spain. Historically, this was the first time such a conference was held a full two days before the decisive clash, taking place at a major event where questions were posed not only by journalists but also by global stars like Novak Djokovic, Rio Ferdinand, and others.

"When we play, we don't think about the pressure, but about competing in the best possible way."

The "Albiceleste" star identified neutralizing Spain's Lamine Yamal as the primary objective for the upcoming encounter.

"Lamine is a player who can achieve a lot. He has a huge career ahead of him and the opportunity to achieve something historic, but I hope that doesn't happen this time. Life is crazy, it's incredible that after that photo, we will both be contending for the World Cup. I wish him a lot of luck at Barcelona too. We will try to ensure he doesn't show his best version on Sunday, although it will be difficult," Messi stated.

Argentina and Spain will face off on the pitch tomorrow, July 19th (Sunday), with kickoff scheduled for 10:00 PM Bulgarian time. The clash will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This match, along with all 104 games of the 2026 World Cup across the USA, Canada, and Mexico, can be watched live on bnt.sportal.bg.