Updated

Updated · FOX Sports · Jul 16

Scaloni Scouted Spain Before Argentina's 2-1 Semifinal Comeback Set Up World Cup Final

Updated

Updated · FOX Sports · Jul 16

Scaloni Scouted Spain Before Argentina's 2-1 Semifinal Comeback Set Up World Cup Final

Q: Will Messi cement his GOAT status, or does this final mark the dawn of 19-year-old Lamine Yamal's era?

Messi does not need this final to become the GOAT for many observers, but another World Cup would make the case even harder to dispute; if Spain win with Yamal central, it would feel more like the start of a new era than a passing of the torch completed in one night. The evidence for Messi is already overwhelming. At 39, he remains decisive: he assisted both goals in Argentina’s 2-1 semifinal comeback against England and earlier in the tournament became the oldest player to score a hat trick. He already owns a record eight Ballons d’Or, a World Cup, Copa América titles, Champions League crowns and two World Cup Golden Balls. If Argentina become the first repeat World Cup champions since Brazil in 1962, Messi’s legacy would gain another historic layer. Yamal, though, is the defining young force of this tournament. Spain have conceded only one goal in seven matches and arrive with the best defensive numbers in the field, while Yamal has been one of their main attacking engines. He has already produced age-defying World Cup milestones and is widely viewed as the outstanding player of his generation. Winning a World Cup at 19 would instantly elevate him from prodigy to global standard-bearer. So the final is less a simple GOAT verdict than a clash of timelines. A Messi win would reinforce an already towering legacy with rare repeat-champion status. A Yamal win would not end the Messi debate, but it would strongly signal that football’s next great era has arrived.

3 articles · Updated · FOX Sports · Jul 16

Lionel Scaloni said Argentina had already begun analyzing Spain before Wednesday’s 2-1 semifinal comeback over England sent the defending champions into Sunday’s World Cup final.
Spain became the focus after its 2-0 semifinal win over France, with Scaloni calling Luis de la Fuente’s side fully deserving winners against a team he considered very hard to beat.
Argentina’s confidence was reinforced by another late escape: England led 1-0 with five minutes left before Scaloni said his players “smelled blood in the water” and turned the match.
The final carries personal ties as Lionel Messi holds Spanish citizenship, seven of Argentina’s 26-man squad play in Spain, and Scaloni lives in Mallorca with his Spanish family.
Argentina now chases back-to-back World Cups for the first time since Brazil in 1962, with Scaloni saying after the semifinal that his team would try to win the final.