‘A special game’ – Lionel Messi relishing facing Lamine Yamal and Barcelona stars in World Cup final
Lionel Messi says he’s looking forward to a special game against Spain on Sunday when Argentina take on Luis de la Fuente’s side in the World Cup final in New York.
The GOAT grabbed two assists as Argentina came from behind to beat England in Wednesday’s semi-final and spoke about his next test after the final whistle.
“It’s a huge team with fantastic players, a great style of play, a team I know well. It’s a football philosophy; they’ve been playing this way for many years, and I know the players,” he told TyC Sports.
“I also know the players. I’ve already faced many of them and I still follow them. Some of them play for Barça, a club I’ve always loved and followed. It will be a special, very evenly matched game.”
Messi also spoke of his pride at reaching consecutive World Cup finals with Argentina.
“Everything we experienced was incredible, from the very beginning, as we said. Although it was a football match, when we started to enter the field and during the anthem, we experienced special feelings, and the group felt that. It wasn’t just another victory; it was an important victory that the Argentine people wanted, and we wanted it too, and it put us in another World Cup final,” he added.
“It’s crazy to play two World Cup finals in a row and nothing, this group is incredible. Today we went looking for it again when things got tough, we never stopped believing, never stopped trying . With our style of play, today we really put our game into it when we were down on the scoreboard. We pinned them back in their own half and it’s an enormous joy.”
Spain beat France 2-0 in their semi-final to make it through to the final as they aim to win the World Cup for just the second time in their history. A fascinating match-up awaits on Sunday as the tournament finally reaches it conclusion.
