Lionel Messi is one win away from a second World Cup title, and to get there, Argentina must undergo a rustic that formed a lot of his personal story.
Argentina face Spain within the 2026 World Cup closing on Sunday, July 19, at New Jork New Jersey Stadium — the primary time in Messi’s profession that he’ll face the Spanish nationwide workforce at a World Cup, with the trophy itself on the road.
The opponent carries further weight for Messi personally. It was Barcelona that paid for the growth-hormone remedy he wanted as a young person and gave him his first-team debut, and Spain additionally explored the opportunity of naturalizing him at one level, by no means realizing his coronary heart was set on representing Argentina from a younger age.
At 39 years previous, in what’s broadly anticipated to be his closing World Cup look, Messi arrives at this closing trying to cap his worldwide profession with a second star for Argentina, 4 years after lifting the trophy in Qatar.
Lionel Messi taking part in towards Spain in 2009. (Getty Photos)
There’s one factor Sunday’s closing may lastly accept him: regardless of every thing he’s achieved on the most important stage, Messi’s private historical past towards Spain with Argentina isn’t a great one, and he’ll have the possibility to vary that for good.
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Messi’s report vs Spain
Throughout his complete profession, Messi has confronted Spain thrice with Argentina, all in worldwide friendlies, and the steadiness leans within the European’s favor:
October 11, 2006 — Spain gained 2-1 in Murcia. An 18-year-old Messi began however didn’t rating, with Daniel Bilos netting Argentina’s objective towards strikes from Xavi and David Villa.November 14, 2009 — Spain gained 2-1 in Madrid. Messi scored Argentina’s solely objective from the penalty spot, with Xabi Alonso scoring each targets for the hosts.September 7, 2010 — Argentina’s solely win within the sequence, a 4-1 rout in Buenos Aires over the reigning world champions. Messi opened the scoring, with Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez, and Sergio Aguero additionally discovering the web, whereas Fernando Llorente scored Spain’s comfort.
Argentina’s full historical past vs Spain
Past Messi’s particular person report, the 2 nations have a protracted and even historical past relationship again greater than seven many years. Argentina and Spain have met 14 occasions since their first conflict in 1952, with the sequence deadlocked at six wins apiece and two attracts.
The 2 sides have additionally crossed paths as soon as earlier than at a World Cup, again in 1966 in England, when Argentina got here out on high 2-1. Their most up-to-date assembly got here in a 2018 pleasant in Madrid, when Spain thrashed Argentina 6-1 simply months earlier than that 12 months’s World Cup in Russia. Sunday’s closing will probably be simply the second time the 2 nations have met on soccer’s largest stage, and the primary with a title on the road.
