Could we have asked for a better World Cup final? The top two teams in FIFA’s pre-tournament rankings will clash on July 19 in New York New Jersey Stadium, with 39-year-old Lionel Messi squaring off against 19-year-old Lamine Yamal. With so many storylines and tons of history to be made, FOX Sports Research has broken…
There may not be a clear favorite on Sunday when Spain and Argentina meet in the FIFA World Cup final, but there are very discernable differences in the way each team arrived at this point. For Argentina, Lionel Messi is the star. He is the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 21 goals. In 2022,…
Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain will showcase the strength of La Masia, with club legends and rising stars on opposite sides. He hailed Lionel Messi’s legacy while backing Lamine Yamal as the future, insisting Barcelona’s identity will be at the heart of the showpiece. La Masia Takes…
NEW YORK — Will Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final mark the coronation of Lionel Messi-era Argentina as the best national team of all time? Or will Spain’s next-greatest generation take a huge step toward claiming that title for itself? It’s a dream finale between two iconic soccer powers. With Messi and coach Lionel Scaloni leading…
Twenty-six years ago, when a 13-year-old Lionel Messi left his beloved Rosario and arrived in Barcelona for his trial to join La Masia academy, with the hopes of sealing a move that could change his life, no one could predict the impact of that moment. Not only did it eternally change Messi’s life or the footballing…
If your first thought when seeing the now-viral photo of Lionel Messi bathing Lamine Yamal as an infant is how unbelievable it is that the two will be playing against each other in Sunday’s World Cup final, you’re not alone; Messi shares the sentiment. “That picture with Lamine, now we are facing in a final…
It’s safe to say that the 2026 World Cup was an excellent platform for young players to shine under the brightest of spotlights. Many of these players laid the foundation to be dominant figures in the international game for years to come. Here are the 10 best players ages 21 and younger from the 2026…
When Argentina and Spain meet in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday, it will be a true passing of the guard. From one generational superstar to the next. From one Barcelona legend to the club’s current star. From 39-year-old Lionel Messi to 19-year-old Lamine Yamal. Yamal is already a household name, who, at 17,…
The world’s best have thrived this summer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has helped make this the best edition of the tournament ever. Ahead of the final between Spain and Argentina, we ranked the 50 best players in the tournament. Most of the players toward the top of this list have household names…
In 2007, a 20-year-old Lionel Messi posed for a Barcelona charity calendar, gently bathing a baby in a plastic tub. The baby’s family had won a UNICEF raffle. Nobody thought about the photo again for 17 years. The baby was Lamine Yamal. You could write fiction for a decade and never come up with that….
