Special appointment
Life is a series of events that if placed individually, its meaning is only within a narrow range. But fate always silently collects details, so that one day, everyone must be overwhelmed and extremely surprised by the level of relevance, the rationality of the things hanging on the fateful string. On February 4, 2024, FIFA announced that the 2026 World Cup final will take place at MetLife stadium. By wordplay, MetLife is understood as "the appointment of destiny". And the owners of this appointment are Spain and Argentina, after going through 7 matches together in locations stretching across the map of the United States, Mexico. Almost everyone focused on the starting point of the appointment 19 years ago, from the photo of Lionel Messi bathing Lamine Yamal - who was not yet 1 year old at that time, at a charity event of Barcelona Club. Messi was 20 years old that year, now he is 39 and almost certainly the final match in New Jersey will be the end of his career at the World Cup. For Yamal - who just turned 19, 2026 is the starting point at the World Cup. The story of Messi and Yamal is likened to a typical generation connection, but it could not have been so special if they had ever faced each other.
From Finalissima...
The Intercontinental Super Cup (Finalsissima) match between the champions of the two regions was interrupted in 1993. In 2022, the European and South American Football Federations revived this event with a match between Argentina and Italy (3-0) in London. In 2026, the match was scheduled for March 27, in Doha (Qatar), between Argentina and Spain. However, the match did not take place after an armed conflict broke out in the region, making the organization impossible for security reasons.
Efforts to salvage the event by finding a replacement venue, with the most feasible proposal being to move the match to the Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. However, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and CONMEBOL objected. Negotiations continued until the deadline, but no compromise was reached on a neutral venue or a new match day. On March 15, UEFA officially announced the cancellation of the match, fans missed the Messi - Yamal confrontation - the young star who became famous when he and La Roja won EURO 2024.
... to the World Cup final
The World Cup is a rendezvous point, but in the "battlefield" which is full of talents, full of pitfalls and surprises, no one dares to be sure about this "summet". But in the end, they - or the hand of fate intervened - did it, with a journey of many emotional levels. Notably, in June last year, after Spain lost to Portugal in the Nations League final, midfielder Pedri posted on Instagram the number 19 07 26 - implying the appointment to be present (and win) at the World Cup final.
That means, Messi and Yamal are highlights but also cannot forget the rest of the two sides, in which there are many "acquaintances" - playing with the same club or being opponents at the club level. Besides, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni once had a period as a student of Luis de la Fuente - who is leading Spain.
Talking about the form or past journey of the 2 teams at this time is unnecessary because everything is still brand new and hot in the minds of fans. Fans, of course, hope for a final that is emotional and worthy in terms of expertise.
