Messi vows Argentina will give its all ahead of World Cup final

Lionel Messi told reporters on Friday that Argentina will "give it our all" as the nation prepares for Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The remarks were made during a fan-focused press conference at Fanatics Fest, a four-day sports celebration in New York that featured appearances by athletes such as Tom Brady, Novak Djokovic and Kevin Durant.

The event allowed the athletes and coaches from both sides to pose questions rather than answer them. Brady asked Messi about a viral photo of him with a young Spanish player, while Djokovic queried Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni on handling pressure before turning the same question to Messi. Spain captain Rodri praised Messi, saying, "It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player and what he means for Argentina. Obviously, for me, he’s the greatest of all times."

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni emphasized the need to stay focused, stating, "It’s one more game. We cannot really think about the fact that it’s a World Cup final." Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez added, "We’ve got a group of players and a group of coaches that are working incredibly hard every single day to try to bring happiness to my country. We’re going to give absolutely our best, with Leo, with the team that we have, to bring the World Cup back to my country and celebrate with our people."

Argentina entered the final as the only unbeaten team, having rallied from deficits in earlier knockout matches. Spain, unbeaten as well, recorded a draw in its opening game. The final will be watched by an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide.