Argentina captain Lionel Messi warned against reducing Spain's strength to the talent of their young star Lamine Yamal, ahead of the two teams' meeting on Sunday in the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Yamal, aged 19, is one of the most prominent rising talents in world football, and will face Messi (39) for the first time, in a clash that brings together the past, present and future of Spanish club Barcelona. Messi said during a meeting with fans on Friday in Manhattan, New York City, in the presence of a number of international sports stars: 'Spain is not just Lamine; it has very great players and a distinctive style of play, and we also have our weapons.' He added: 'He is a world reference at 19 years old, and he has a historic opportunity to achieve a historic achievement, but for our part we will try to give our best so that this does not happen this time.' Messi tops the tournament's scoring list with eight goals, along with four assists, one assist ahead of Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, and also leads the all-time World Cup scorers with 21 goals. As for Yamal, he scored only one goal in his first World Cup appearance, after arriving at the tournament not fully fit due to an injury he suffered in the final stage of the Spanish league. Despite that, he played an important role in the outstanding collective performance of the Spanish team under coach Luis de la Fuente. The match gains added significance due to a photo taken in 2007, showing Messi bathing Yamal when he was a baby during a charity photo shoot. Messi said: 'To have a photo with him when he was a baby, and now we are competing in the World Cup, that is crazy. He is one of the best players in the world currently, and I wish him all the best.'