Rodri, captain of the Spanish national team, urged his teammates to enter the World Cup final on Sunday against Argentina armed with ambition rather than fear, as Lionel Messi and his teammates, whom he described as "the team to beat," stand between Spain and the most important title in football.

Spain reaches the final after an impressive rise, winning the Nations League and the European Championship in recent years. Rodri said this rise was built step by step and did not happen overnight.

He said in a press conference: "We went through a gradual development process during which we saw the team mature over the past few years."

He added: "This team and this generation were destined to make a name for themselves... and now they have reached the World Cup final. So we are happy with the journey the team has taken, but we will not stop there; our ambition goes far beyond that."

The World Cup remains the pinnacle for Rodri, who won the Champions League with Manchester City and was awarded the Ballon d'Or.

He said: "The greatest thing that can happen to you is to become world champion. I am happy with my career, but there is always that drive to continue."

Spain has conceded only one goal in the tournament, and Rodri described his team as "very complete," controlling their penalty area, the opponent's penalty area, and midfield. When asked to identify Spain's weaknesses, he smiled and kept them secret.

"We have strengths and weaknesses. Our weaknesses are few, but I will keep them to myself." "The competitive spirit" of Argentina; there may be no more difficult obstacle than this, as Argentina plays its second consecutive World Cup final, driven by its competitive nature and late goals, along with the well-known ability to come back, which makes facing them difficult.

Rodri confirmed that Spain has taken this toughness into account, saying: "What you clearly mean is the competitive spirit that this team has and its ability to come back in difficult situations and its character." He added: "So we have to strive to win, we have to be determined to win the World Cup and be more ambitious. And I think that means we have to play with Spain's character in the match."

In contrast, there is the well-known Messi, who nevertheless received praise from Rodri. He said: "For me, he is the greatest player in history... He managed to lead his country to win the World Cup, and now, to qualify for the final." He added: "But Argentina is much bigger than Messi alone... Of course we will have to watch him but we also have to do that with many other players."

Rodri expects this match to be more physical than the semi-final against France, which ended in a 2-0 win. He said: "Sunday's match will be different; I think it will be more like a battle and will have a strong physical character, and we have to be prepared." Spain's 2010 World Cup triumph looms over the current generation, although Rodri pointed out that football has changed so much now that easy comparisons cannot be made. The Spanish player affirmed that what remains is a lesson from a group that pursued what once seemed impossible, saying: "They went through that experience with that determination... and that is the thing I want to draw from that generation."

Read also