The two sides of the World Cup final have been completed, and as befits the closing scene, football fans await a clash between two different schools.

Argentina, the defending champions led by Lionel Messi, the tournament's all-time leading scorer, will face Spain, the team with the strongest defense, on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Spanish team defeated its Spanish counterpart in the semifinal last Tuesday, while the Argentine team, the master of comebacks in the World Cup, beat the English team 2-1 in the second semifinal on Wednesday.

The Argentine team seeks its fourth title and aims to become the first team to win consecutive titles since Brazil achieved that feat in 1958 and 1962.

In contrast, the Spanish team seeks its second title after winning its first in 2010.

Argentina is the highest-scoring team, having scored 19 goals so far.

In contrast, Spain's defense is the strongest in the tournament, having conceded only one goal.

A change must occur next Sunday when the curtain falls on the largest edition in World Cup history, which featured 48 teams and 104 matches in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This will not be a Finalissima (CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions) but something bigger.

The champions of South America and Europe, Argentina and Spain, were supposed to meet in the Qatari capital Doha in late March in a Finalissima match that would have pitted Messi against Lamine Yamal before the World Cup began.

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But the match was canceled due to security conditions and tensions in the Middle East, with Iran escalating attacks on neighboring countries in response to US and Israeli airstrikes, in an ongoing war.

Therefore, instead of playing at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final where Messi and Argentina beat France and Kylian Mbappé on penalties, they will now play near New York City in the biggest football match in the world.

The final will also be a clash between the present and future of football, as well as bringing together the two teams that entered the tournament ranked first and second in the FIFA World Rankings, with Argentina first and Spain second.

Messi and Yamal Photo

In 2007, a famous photo was taken of Messi during his participation in a UNICEF program, holding a baby.

Yamal was that baby, and like Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, Yamal has become a left-footed star for Barcelona. It is one of the most peculiar stories: from a photo that brought them together nearly two decades ago, the two stars will meet again in the World Cup final.