Argentina-Spain, a dream final to close out this World Cup of excess

The World Cup of superlatives concludes on Sunday with a prestigious final between Argentina and Spain, two teams that are polar opposites, and a huge show that only the United States can produce, on the outskirts of New York and under the watchful eye of Donald Trump.

At the close of this successful tournament, with its unprecedented format of 48 teams competing, it was hard to imagine a better clash than the one that will pit Lionel Messi's soldiers, who would enter a little more into legend with a second crown, against a Roja breathtaking in its mastery.

French fans had long hoped that this 104th match would be their revenge against Argentina. But Les Bleus collapsed in the semi-final against Spain and, on Saturday, in Didier Deschamps' last match in charge, they even conceded third place to England in a wide-open game (6-4) that allowed Kylian Mbappé to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.

- "The greatest human event" -

Its opening took place in the mythical Azteca in Mexico five and a half weeks ago, which seems like an eternity given how much the 2026 World Cup has generated emotions and stories, from the splendid epic of Cape Verde, to the bitter adventure of the Iranians settled in Tijuana or the unimaginable phone call from Trump to reverse the decision of a referee.

Co-organised for the first time by three countries over more than 4,000 km from Mexico to Canada, the tournament ends very close to the city that never sleeps, a megalopolis that lives up to its excess, with a magnificent clash of styles.

On one side, Spain, aiming for a second Euro-World Cup double since 2008/2010. On the other, Argentina, wanting to retain its crown, something no team has done since Brazil in 1962.

La Roja is an octopus that has quietly suffocated its opponents thanks to remarkable collective intelligence, 11 players like so many tentacles extending from a midfield displaying astonishing control.

Argentina, for their part, seemed to be sinking in each of their recent matches but never truly succumbed. The miracle was constant for this team with its captivating fighting spirit, fueled by a fanatical public and kept afloat by the strokes of genius from a Messi who now soars above the "God" Maradona.

A second title would take him close to "king" Pelé and would take FIFA boss Gianni Infantino a little further in the realm of superlatives.

"This is not just the greatest World Cup of all time, it has been the greatest human, social and cultural event that humanity has ever witnessed," he exclaimed on Friday.

A word of warning to those who found this World Cup "too much": the next one will be worse in environmental terms.

In 2030, the centenary World Cup will span three continents, with matches in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and even Latin America. Some are advocating for a 64-team tournament, which would confirm FIFA's disregard for climate issues.

- "The world's greatest stage" -

For Sunday, FIFA, which has gathered more than six million spectators in stadiums and billions of television viewers, has promised "the biggest stage in the world".

Following the Super Bowl format, the halftime show will feature an 11-minute segment with American megastar Madonna, Canadian Justin Bieber, South Korean K-pop group BTS, and Shakira...

Before the match, a ceremony will have involved Robbie Williams, the streamer IShowSpeed and even Tom Cruise.

But the main star of this grand finale will not be on stage, but in the official stand.

Donald Trump waited until the final to go to the stadium, and it will be interesting to see the crowd's reaction when his face appears on the giant screens. He and his "friend" Gianni will present the trophy to the winner.

22, that's Mbappé's record.

After 14 exceptional years as national coach, Didier Deschamps experienced a bitter final defeat on the French bench on Saturday.

Four days after their defeat in Dallas against Spain in the semi-final, the French team lost to England by a stunning score (6-4) in the "small" final.

After a disastrous first half, which ended with an unthinkable 4-0 for the English, the French finally started to play this match which had the feel of an exhibition.

Mbappé, however, didn't make the trip to Miami for nothing: another brace made him the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, just one goal ahead of Messi (22 to 21). A meager consolation for Deschamps' France, champions in 2018 and runners-up in 2022.