The possibility that Lionel Messi’s international career ends in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in Sunday’s World Cup final has been left open by this tournament, according to the report. Spain, the opponents in the final, were among those who once sought to persuade Messi to represent them more than 20 years ago.
The report recalls Messi’s emergence at the South American Under-20 Championship in Colombia in early 2005, when a 17-year-old left-footed playmaker drew immediate attention for his control and reading of space. Messi had lived in Rosario until age 13 and moved to Barcelona; at the time he had appeared in only a handful of club matches.
Argentina moved quickly to secure him, offering Messi his senior debut on Aug. 17, 2005, in a friendly against Hungary — a match in which he was sent off less than a minute after coming on, according to the report. Spain subsequently won the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, while Argentina endured difficult years that included Messi’s brief retirement following a Copa América defeat to Chile in the same stadium where Sunday’s final will be played.
In recent seasons Argentina has reversed that downturn, capturing two Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The team now aims to retain the world crown against Spain, and the final also reunites two coaches with shared history: Lionel Scaloni completed coaching study work in Spain and counted Luis de la Fuente among his instructors, according to the report.
De la Fuente earlier named Argentina forward Julián Álvarez as the foreign player he would most like on his Spain roster, the report notes, and his preparations for the final will include ways to limit the Álvarez‑Messi partnership. Spain’s characteristic response is to control possession; the report points to their semifinal against France, where they curtailed Kylian Mbappé, as a template for attempting to deny Argentina supply lines. Scheduling issues also prevented an earlier meeting in the Finalissima, and Argentina did not face European opposition after the 2022 final, according to the report.
