The match between Argentina and Spain will start on July 19 at 22:00 Lithuanian time.
Argentina paved their way to the final after a miraculous victory in the semifinal against England. Trailing 0:1, the world champions scored goals in the 85th and 90+2nd minutes and won the match 2:1.
Now they face their final challenge – “La Roja”.
“As soon as Spain leaves the hotel, I start to worry,” said Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni when asked what worries him the most. “When they get on the bus and leave the hotel, I already worry. They are a great team. Everything related to Spain worries me.”
In his ranks, L. Scaloni has Lionel Messi, the top scorer of the championship. The 39-year-old footballer has scored 8 goals and made 4 assists in this tournament, and is a tough puzzle for opponents.
The Argentina team itself will play in the final for the second time in a row. Meanwhile, the Spanish team is somewhat younger and has not yet played in such an important World Cup match.
“They also have players who have played in the biggest arenas in the world,” said L. Scaloni. “They are among the most important players in their teams. Speaking of pressure, once the match starts, players forget about it and focus only on the game.
They played in the European Championship and Nations League finals, so they also have a lot of experience. I don’t think that us playing the final again gives us an advantage.”
At the press conference, the Argentine was asked about the biggest advantage of the team compared to Spain. He immediately noted that everything comes from the players’ childhood.
“Our biggest advantage is that we grew up under difficult conditions, playing football,” commented L. Scaloni. “We used to play without thinking about what others say. Pressure should be left aside – it’s not worth worrying about it. On Sunday, we have to do what we have done since the beginning of the tournament – just play football and not even think about what might happen.”
It was not answered at the Argentina press conference whether these will be L. Messi’s last matches with the national team, but the coach dedicated a message to all viewers.
“He is living history,” L. Scaloni emphasized turning to L. Messi. “A true legend. To reach the World Cup final at 39 is simply incredible. We have to enjoy every moment while he is still with us.
We miss Diego (Maradona) very much, but L. Messi is still here. He is history, he is a legend. Together with this group of people who gave us so many wonderful years, he will always remain in our memory.”
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