With players like Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez, Lionel Messi will not be alone in Sunday's showdown at MetLife Stadium near New York, when the Argentine national team faces its Spanish counterpart in the 2026 World Cup final.

- Fernández is no longer a boy related news

- The teenager who in 2016 wrote a letter to Messi begging him to reverse his decision to retire from international football has grown up a lot: at 25, Enzo Fernández has become one of the pillars of Argentina's midfield. The English Chelsea midfielder is an indispensable man in tackles, does not hesitate to make sarcastic comments, and is capable of crossing the line, as when he joined in racist chants targeting French star Kylian Mbappé after winning the 2024 Copa América. But he also knows how to be decisive on the pitch. Against Egypt in the round of 16, the former River Plate player scored the winning goal by heading the ball into the net in stoppage time (90+2), sealing Argentina's stunning comeback (3-2 after trailing 0-2). Against England in the semi-final (2-1), he showed his versatility, unleashing a beautiful strike from outside the box after a pass from Messi that beat Jordan Pickford, scoring the equalizer that restored hope. Fernández said in June before the match against Austria, 'I feel today a little more mature than I was four years ago,' during his first World Cup appearance, where he won the Best Young Player award. He added, 'I was still a boy when I joined the national team,' considering himself now 'more complete.'

- Álvarez: the tireless spider - Julián Álvarez is a cornerstone of Atlético Madrid under fellow countryman Diego Simeone, having scored 20 goals this season (10 in the Champions League) with 9 assists, but he did not start the tournament in the best conditions. After suffering a dip in fitness following a month and a half of treatment for an injury to his left ankle, 'La Araña' (the spider, for his speed and agility as if he had more than two legs) began the World Cup on the bench, after coach Lionel Scaloni preferred Lautaro Martínez over him. This setback was painful for the hero of the 2022 semi-final against Croatia (3-0, with a brace and a penalty scored by Messi). He was also likely affected by his personal situation, as he fell into a public dispute with Atlético amid Barcelona's interest in signing him, and he did not hide his desire to leave. Since his first start against Jordan, the number 9 has put in great effort in every match, increasing his runs and decisive defensive interventions, and doing the work that Messi's legs can no longer do. The relatively short striker (1.70 m) said after the win over Switzerland (3-1 after extra time), where he scored the second goal with a brilliant shot, 'We have to know how to suffer,' a phrase he has mastered with Atlético.

- Martínez: the 'Bull' seeking revenge - The top scorer in Serie A (17 goals) and hero of Inter, Lautaro Martínez started the tournament as a starter before falling behind Álvarez in the pecking order. This repeated the scenario of the World Cup in Qatar four years earlier, a very frustrating memory for Martínez who failed to score a single goal then. But that did not affect the 28-year-old striker, who perfectly embodies one of his tattoos: 'What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.' He fiercely seized every opportunity that came his way as a substitute (3 goals and 1 assist). When he came on against Egypt with Argentina trailing 0-2, it was he who sent the perfect cross to Enzo Fernández for the equalizer. He scored the third goal against Switzerland (3-1 after extra time), but he particularly shone when he headed in a precise cross from Messi to beat the English in the semi-final (90+2), just ten minutes after coming on. He said after the match, 'I dreamed of this. I told Alexis (Mac Allister) that I would score,' adding tearfully, 'Ever since my father bought me my first pair of soccer shoes, I always dreamed of scoring this goal.'