My dearest readers……….Now that we have finally seen the inane Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T) debate collapse in the hallowed turf of Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz stadium on Wednesday, our focus shift to the 104th match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Cup final pitting Spain’s La Roja against Argentina’ s La Albiceleste.
It is, by all accounts, a World Cup final made in La Masia, the world-renowned youth academy of super club FC Barcelona, which was established in 1979 and famous for developing legendary players like Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, who meet head on in this World Cup final on Sunday.
This is also the same centre which produced arguably the best midfield combination in the world of the militant midgets, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. 
One Lionel Messi super fan joked on the streets of Facebook that Sunday’s final will see some Real Madrid having to choose between supporting Messi to win his second World Cup trophy or support EIGHT FC Barcelona players to win the World Cup. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.
It is pretty clear the Penaldo….er Ronaldo fans, who have suffered a great deal while supporting Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and England, will be rooting for Yamal’s La Roja on Sunday.
I feel for them. You see when you strip away every non-footballing argument being made for Cristiano Ronaldo and examine what remains, the football case collapses almost entirely. On Wednesday in Atlanta, football itself delivered the most emphatic possible closing argument.
Argentina went 1-0 down to England in the World Cup semi-final, Thomas Tuchel, one of the sharpest tactical minds in world football, had spent days specifically preparing for Messe. He considered man-marking him personally.
He studied every space Messi gravitates toward. A lip reader confirmed that during the hydration break Tuchel gathered his players and warned them directly that they were all getting drawn to one side because of Messi and that if they did not stop it they would be out.
He said publicly before the game that he was “totally aware we cannot stop him all the time and for 100 per cent,”
Dear reader, here is one of the most respected coaches alive essentially admitting that a 39-year-old man is beyond complete containment.
What happened? Messi found Enzo Fernandez 25 yards from goal in the 86th minute for the equaliser.
Then in stoppage time he picked out Lautaro Martinez from the right wing with precision cross required nothing more than a simple header to finish.
Two decisive contributions in the final minutes of a World Cup semi final. Argentina win 2-1. Messi in a World Cup final at 39.
Let us look at his 2026 World Cup numbers in full because they need ti be stated clearly. 8 goals. 4 assists. 12 direct goal contributions in a single World Cup campaign. He has a goal or assist in eleven consecutive World Cup games dating back to 2022 in Qatar. Eleven.
Consecutively. He is the joint top scorer in the tournament alongside Mbappe and he has done it while also being Argentina’s creative engine, their defensive trigger, their emotional anchor and their tactical reference point all at once.
No other player at this tournament commands the kind of specific tactical preparation from opposing coaches that Tuchel described publicly.
Going into Sunday’s final against Spain, Messi is the undisputed front runner for both the Golden Boot as top scorer and the Golden Ball as the tournament’s MVP. And needlessly, to say he deserves both. Not because of sentiment.
Not because of legacy. Solely because of what the numbers and the performances have shown game after game at the hardest stage of the hardest tournament in football.
On Sunday at East Rutherford, New Jersey, it will be European Champions versus South American Champions in a battle for the biggest prize in world football.
La Roja have flown under the radar at this tournament after opening up with a shocking goalless draw with Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks.
Despite the inauspicious start, Sapin has quietly gone about their business and conceded first – and only – goal of the tournament in the 2-1 quarterfinal win against Belgium’s fading Golden generation.
Any doubts that La Roja’s ability to go the distance were emphatically blown away with a 2-0 semi-final win against France in Dallas.
Luis de la Fuente’s team went into that game as underdogs because of France’s impressive run to the last four but Spain defeated Les Blues with a dominant performance that showcased the very best of the Euro 2024 winners.
On the other hand, on paper, Argentina have had an easy route to the World Cup final having avoided an opponent in the top 15 of the FIFA World rankings until facing England – ranked fourth – in the semifinals.
Other even jokingly said Messi was playing the Africa Cup of Nations having played Algeria, Cape Verde and Egypt.
Lionel Scaloni’s team have certainly played on the edge – but they keep on winning.
No doubt, Sunday’s Cup final is a truly generational blockbuster.
Luis de la Fuente has guided an imperious, structurally flawless LA Roja side that has dominated the tournament, never trailing for a single minute on their march to the final.
Standing in their way is a Lionel Scaloni’s relentless Argentina side, determined to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
Unlike Spain, La Albiceleste have fought through absolute fires to get to the final, staging dramatic late comebacks and surviving extra-time battles – most recently turning their semi-final against England upside down with late strikes from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to secure a 2-1 win.
Spain’s campaign has been built on an iron-clad defensive foundation, keeping a staggering six clean sheets in seven matches and conceding just a single goal all tournament (in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Belgium).
On the other hand, Argentina’s path has been a testament to sheer grit.
One of the highlights of the Cup final is the key battle that could decide the final is between Lamine Yamal vs Lionel Messi – the generational narrative.
While not directly lining up against each other, the ultimate destiny of the trophy rests on their shoulders.
At 39, Messi is playing his final Word Cup game and has been the player of the tournament with eight goals and four assists. Lamine Yamal, conversely, 19 years old, represents the future.
While the teenager has only managed one goal and one assist this summer, his directness and threat from the right wing remain Spain’s most explosive outlet.
Sunday’s Cup final is an ultimate battle between consummate control and frenetic frenzy.
In my heart of hearts I truly want Messi to win his second World Cup trophy because this God’s gift to football has given us more than enough in over two decades of scintillating football, unbelievable dribbles and stunning goals while remaining humble as ever. No gym post. So social announcements.
No Siuu. Just the ball. Just vision. Just Messi. There was never really a debate.
I predict a 2-1 win for Argentina and the God of football – Lionel Andres Messi – the Little Boy from Rosario Santa Fe!
Until next week, Thatha!
