From Protégé to Rival | Messi and teen star Yamal headline Argentina–Spain showdown

It has been a whirlwind tour of sorts in the FIFA World Cup, with teams flying across cities and time zones this time. Now comes the final showdown, with Superman Lionel Messi leading Argentina against an inspired Spain in Sunday’s blockbuster to be held in New Jersey.

Just to put in perspective what transpired in the last two matches, Spain produced a classic against France, with 19-year-old Lamine Yamal now becoming a household name. Images of Yamal being gently patted by Messi when he was a youngster have stormed the internet. So, when Messi faces Yamal and Spain, it will be an interesting contest — a 39-year-old versus the teen star. What Argentina did in the semi-final, producing magic in a crucial 7-0 win against England, left the Three Lions broken, hearts included.

What a journey this has been in the World Cup, where fans saw brilliant bursts even from teams that did not make it to the last 16 stage. The football on view, in terms of quality, offered from across several continents was outstanding. If Argentina and Spain stand at the Final Frontier, they have prepared hard and delivered.

Just rewind to the predictions before the World Cup began. Fans and bookmakers were dead sure France, where the imposing presence of Kylian Mbappe made a strong impact, would win the World Cup. On a Richter scale of 1 to 10, France losing to Spain would measure at 9. Not because predictions went wrong, but because France looked too good, with Mbappe and his teammates in command. But then Spain came up with a display that was so different. Cutting off the midfield supply, Spain had planned well against France. The difference was who played better on that day — Spain, not France. To say the performance was flawless from Spain, the champions of Europe and the 2010 World Cup winners, would be stating the obvious.

Now comes Lamine Yamal, the wunderkind. The boy who was being petted by Messi 19 years ago, innocently, when he was two years old, has grown up to become a major football force. As a right winger, Yamal has done brilliant work for his clubs as well as for the Spain national team. Being young and energetic, with an infectious level of enthusiasm, Yamal has been portrayed as a darling. There is nothing wrong with that, since sport keeps searching for new stars. Perhaps, this World Cup is the real birth of Yamal as a hero, a young football champion in the making.

He has all the ingredients to be a celebrity so early in life. Yamal has handled it all well till now. After all, the average age of players in La Roja is 26.1, compared to Argentina’s 28.5. That is largely because Messi is 39. For Spain, the fresher and younger legs will surely be of help in the final. However, as things stand, none can predict the outcome of this final contest.

Take the case of Messi, the master. He was not supposed to have been around for so long, featuring in a sixth FIFA World Cup. As the defending champions, for Argentina to keep going has been remarkable. And the best part is that the side does not rely only on Messi to score or create moves up front. What one witnessed in a revisit of the ‘Falklands War’ was Argentina exploding in the final minutes of extra time to flatten England. It left the perennial contenders in tears on the turf. For those who marvel at Messi, the God of football, the kind of presence he showed in the crucial semi-final, creating movement, orchestrating attacks and delivering crosses, will go down as mind-blowing.

A deep dive into Messi shows he is indeed ‘The Greatest’. He has handled age so well that it is a lesson for everyone who thinks adding years is a limiting factor. “Messi has matured” is easy to say from the comfort of a couch at home. To be on the turf for such long durations, remain fit, keep moving his legs and continue producing magic, Messi has transformed himself. He has used science, fitness, nutrition and workouts to his advantage. And this, for someone who early in life battled a growth hormone deficiency (GH). Messi had to be cared for in this regard in Spain when he was around 11 years old. There is a lot of Spain in Messi, as it is this country that witnessed his growth. He also underwent hormone injections there more than 27 years ago.

Over the years, the way Messi has preserved himself is a wonderful story. He has taken care of his workouts, including modifying his diet. If he is still so energetic and continues to produce a potent brand of football, Messi has shown that age is not a deterrent. In this sport, where he literally runs miles, doing all this is no fluke. Official statistics say that against England, he ran almost 8 km on the field. The way he recovers and prepares for the next match offers so much to learn from the Argentine legend. Certainly, for generations that fantasised about Pele and Diego Maradona being the greatest, the time has come to change the title.

To be sure, Messi has nothing more to prove. He has achieved awards and rewards, and he lifted the World Cup in 2022. The presence of Messi in 2026 is a bonus for all football fans. Thank him for it, since he is a once-in-a-lifetime generational rock star. A Lionel Messi is not born every day. A Lionel Messi cannot be created in a human laboratory, even with the most modern advancements in genetic engineering. The real impact of Messi will be felt when he walks into the sunset. That day will be a sad one, for he has provided magical moments for decades in football, delivering a masterclass every time.

As the World Cup comes to a close, one can praise the three nations that hosted it — Canada, Mexico and the USA. New Jersey will host the final on a packed Sunday night, where only the privileged can enter the arena. For the USA, which won the right to host the World Cup, this has been a great learning experience. Yes, there were problems faced by teams such as Iran early on.

Today, the world is far from peaceful. The Russia-Ukraine war has raged for over four years. Iran continues to burn, and finding reasons for it is next to impossible. At a time when there is so much turmoil, football has acted like a balm for all of us. As for those who have slammed FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, who has been in charge since 2016, he continues to be a strong sports administrator. His proposal to increase the size of the World Cup to 48 teams in four years has faced criticism. There is a market for a bigger World Cup and, if more teams can come in, why not?

Did we not cheer for the minnows this time, Cape Verde and Curacao? Even with Google Maps, finding these small nations can be a task. They provided football fans with magical moments. I am all for enlarging the size of the World Cup. Indeed, there is a need for greater representation from more continents. Football is truly a unifying sport that cuts across everything else. Let it boom. For those of us who slept less and are left blurry-eyed, we will wait for the New Jersey finale.

Argentina once more, or Spain as champions again? Wait. The final few hours are filled with great expectations.

Away from football, there is massive speculation that Sunday will also be Rohit Sharma’s last match against England at Lord’s. The Hitman is being forced out of the squad, which is saddening. He has not become a liability; it is just that coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar have their own agendas. Hopefully, the BCCI will not remain a mute spectator. Don’t treat Rohit Sharma like a wastrel. Please.