Will Messi or Yamal shine in World Cup final? Our experts weigh in

Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAYSun, July 19, 2026 at 2:14 AM UTC

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All of the action this summer culminates in the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

Lionel Messi and company are hoping to defend their 2022 title, which was the superstar's first World Cup championship. Lamine Yamal is seeking to win Spain's first men's World Cup since 2010 and second tournament overall.

A charity photo from 2007 of a young Messi giving a baby Yamal a bath has gone viral as a wink of destiny.

USA TODAY's experts analyzed the matchup on an episode of USA TODAY Sports' "Sports Seriously" soccer podcast, published on Friday, July 17.

National soccer writer Jon Arnold spoke on Yamal's impact on Spain. The teenage sensation made his World Cup debut in La Roja's group play draw against Cape Verde after recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered this spring. He then powered Spain with his first World Cup goal in their victory over Saudi Arabia, but hasn't scored since.

"I'm not convinced that Lamine Yamal is fully himself, fully fit and fully 'ready for the occasion' might sound wrong, but this is a 19-year-old kid in his first ever World Cup," he said. "And all the pressure has been put on him and he came in with a hamstring injury that to me seems like maybe, if this World Cup was a month later, I think we'd be seeing a different Lamine, which is scary because he might lift the World Cup trophy."

USA TODAY's soccer editor Seth Vertelne, agreed that the FC Barcelona star maybe hasn't shown the same explosiveness that he has at the club level.

"You've seen more flashes from him as opposed to kind of the way that he can consistently dominate a game like we've seen so many times at Barcelona and also with Spain," he shared. "... At some point, you would think maybe Spain is gonna need him to produce one of these individual moments of brilliance that we've gotten used to seeing from him. So far, they actually haven't needed that. It's been such a collective effort."

You can watch the full episode of "Sports Seriously" above or on USA TODAY Sports' YouTube page and wherever you listen to podcasts (search: Sports Seriously).

Spain has also gotten a boost from the clutch king Mikel Merino and five goals from Mikel Oyarzabal.

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Argentina, on the other hand, had Messi as the only scorer in their first two group play matches in which he tallied a hat trick and a brace. He's cooled off in the knockout rounds, but has contributed via assists as well.

Arnold said that leaving Nahuel Molina vulnerable in the backfield is a weakness of the defending champions that Messi is party responsible for.

"Lionel Messi is not getting back to defend," he said. "As magic as he is, as much as he's done during this tournament, and as much as you don't really care if this guy comes back, when your right back is just sitting there with two guys running at him, you really need some help."

But the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner still gives Argentina their best bet to win their fourth World Cup.

"Messi has been sort of the main man for Argentina in a way that Yamal hasn't been and hasn't had to be," Vertelney said. "So you do wonder going into this game if one or both of them will be required to have one of these kind of trademark moments to settle the game, or if they can kinda lean more on the collective like Spain, in particular, has been doing."

Arnold shared a similar sentiment, reflecting on how this particular match won't be a decider in either player's position in the history books.

"I don't see a way that Argentina lifts the trophy without a great game from Messi," he said. "I think you can see a way that that happens for Spain without Yamal. But I also don't think it totally matters in the grand scheme of things what the legacy of each is. Because I think Lamine Yamal is 19. He's gonna write his next chapter, he's gonna write one more chapter after that. We hope he keeps playing for a really long time 'cause he's a lot of fun to watch.

"Messi, we know this is likely his last World Cup. I am not ruling out that he shows up on the field in Buenos Aires at that opening game in 2030 and ... does a little 'hello,' but I don't think he wants to. I think he's a guy who wants to go out on top. He's going to give everything he can. But ultimately, this game, to me, doesn't really indicate what Messi was or wasn't. If they lose, I think he's still the same guy."

Argentina and Spain kick off in the World Cup final at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Analyzing Lionel Messi vs. Lamine Yamal in World Cup final

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