Messi said victory in the semi-final was "quite a special one, especially playing against England with all the historical context".

 

Messi also paid tribute to his Argentina teammates and their never-say-die attitude. It was the latest demonstration of their grit at the 2026 tournament.

 

In the last-16 match against Egypt they recovered from being 2-0 down to win 3-2.

"What the group has been doing is incredible, and this, of course, is again something that shows our character, our grit, our collective, the way that we play together," said Messi. "It was really, truly amazing."

 

The forward said he was looking forward to facing Spain in the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, where he will face the country where he spent most of his career, at Barcelona.

He said Spain, who beat France 2-0 to reach the final, were "a fantastic side, wonderful players".

"They play very, very well. I know them quite well. Their whole idea and philosophy has been very well (developed) throughout this time, and I know the players as well."

Source: AFP