East Rutherford, July 19: Spain and Argentina prepared to do battle in the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday as organisers said they were keeping a close eye on smoke from wildfires in Canada.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina are bidding to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, while Spain are trying to win a second title after their maiden victory in 2010.
Organisers said they were “monitoring closely” the smoke that has choked skies over large areas of the United States.
“There’s been discussion about it, and we have somebody with the National Weather Service that sits in FIFA headquarters there, so we’re monitoring closely,” Andrew Giuliani, White House World Cup task force executive director, told a briefing.
US President Donald Trump will be among a crowd of over 80,000 spectators as the largest World Cup in history reaches its climax in the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
It will be the only game of the tournament that Trump will have attended.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would also attend the final after an invitation from the American president.
Special attention to Messi
Coach Luis de la Fuente said Spain planned to pay “special attention” to Lionel Messi in final but ruled out trying to man-mark the Argentina captain.
De la Fuente told reporters at a press conference that he knows from experience the challenges of using man-to-man marking against the eight-time Ballon D’Or winner.
The Spain coach recalled an experience from when he was coaching Sevilla’s youth team while Messi was playing junior football for Barcelona, underlining how it was impossible to keep him quiet for the whole match. “I first encountered him when I was coaching the Sevilla youth team,” he said. “We went to Barcelona, and I had heard great things about a kid named Messi.
“So we assigned a player to mark him man-to-man, but in the 70th minute, I substituted the marker because he was on a yellow card. The score was 0-0, and in the span of 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals against us.”
“So we won’t use man-to-man marking this time. We have to stay alert and pay special attention, certainly,” de la Fuente added.
“Messi is one of a kind,” de la Fuente said. “An example for young athletes in terms of his attitude and behaviour, especially given the spectacular World Cup he is playing at his age.”
De la Fuente strongly pushed back at suggestions that Argentina may resort to skullduggery or streetwise tactics in an attempt to disrupt Spain.
“I believe that both Spain and Argentina will have a game plan where talent and good football will rule over everything else.”
Physical battle
Spain captain Rodri said he was bracing for a “physical” battle with Argentina and would aim to ignore any possible “provocations”.
Rodri, the 2024 Ballon D’Or winner, said he expected the final to be unlike any other game the European champions had faced.
“I think Sunday’s match will be quite different,” the Manchester City star told reporters.
“It will be a more physical one, and we must be prepared. But I believe that if we are known for something in this national team, it is that we know how to play different games based on the moment.”So we can adapt to having to defend, counter-attacking, to attacking. We are a very complete team, and that is why we are here.”
When asked if he expected Argentina to resort to “provocative” tactics, Rodri replied: “Well, that’s a part of football.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni urged fans to make the most of seeing Messi lead out his team in another World Cup final at the age of 39.
“He has made history. He is a legend,” Scaloni said of the former Barcelona player, who helped Argentina to win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Messi’s international career has enjoyed a remarkable late renaissance — a decade ago he briefly retired from the Argentina team at the age of 29 after a Copa America final loss to Chile, his fourth defeat in a final for his country.
“It fills me with pride because he is the best player in the history of football,” Scaloni said of Messi.
“To have been able to get to a final in the way that he has in this moment, at the age of 39, I think it is incredible.
“That is why I said we should enjoy having him, because look at what happened with Diego (Maradona) and how we ended up missing him.
Argentina had gone 28 years without winning a major international title before lifting the Copa America in 2021 to spark this current golden era.
Argentina will have to beat the reigning European champions if they are to become the first nation in 64 years to win back-to-back World Cups.
“They are a great team. Everything worries me about them,” Scaloni said.AFP/AP
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