Argentina go into the game at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey attempting to become only the third team after Italy and Brazil to brandish back-to-back titles.
Spain will try to repeat their feat of 2008 and 2010 when they won the European crown and followed it up with the World Cup.
There is also the no small matter of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi sharing the same field as Spain’s wunderkind Lamine Yamal.
The 19-year-old, who featured in the surge to the European title two years ago in Germany, has been anointed Messi’s successor primarily on the back of his prodigious performances at Messi’s former club Barcelona.
The link was strengthened after a photograph emerged from June 2007 of Messi cradling the infant Yamal in his arms during a charity photoshoot in Barcelona. In June 2007, a 20-year-old Lionel Messi took part in a photo shoot in which he was photographed with Lamine Yamal.
In the prelude to the final, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente played down talk of comparisons.
“Messi is a one-of-a-time-in-history player,” said the 65-year-old Spaniard.
“And he’s an example, a role model for youth and younger players, his attitude, his behaviour.
“Lamine has to be Lamine Yamal himself, and the best way we can support him is by helping him be the person we know today because he has a great potential, a great future.”
Spanish master and Argentine apprentice
De la Fuente will also face comparisons as he pits his wits against the Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.
The 48-year-old was one of De la Fuente’s students in 2017 when Scaloni was taking his UEFA Pro Licence coaching qualification at the Spanish Football Federation’s coaching school in Las Rozas.
Both men have steered their teams to the final in contrasting manners.
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Spain have been imperious while Argentina have danced with danger.
De la Fuente’s charges topped their group following a draw with debutants Cape Verde and then victories over Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
In the last 32, they waltzed past Austria 3-0 and in the last-16 against Portugal needed a goal in extra-time from substitute Mikel Merino to see off Portugal.
Merino came on late and repeated his match-winning trick in the quarter-final against Belgium. And Spain simply crushed France inthe semi-final.
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After emerging with maximum points from Group J, Argentina required extra-time to dispatch Cape Verde 3-2 in the last 32.
In the last 16, Egypt led 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining. But Argentina scored three goals to win the tie 3-2.
They also needed extra-time to beat Switzerland and in a pulsating semi-final against England, trailing by a goal in the 85th minute, Messi set up strikes for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to turn the tie around.
“We’ve recovered something which is extremely valuable, which is the fact that people are watching our games on TV, wearing the Argentinian jersey and hugging each other,” Scaloni said.
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“This feeling of unity, we really feel it. People are with us, supporting us and backing us. And that’s very emotional for us. And it’s good to express emotions. I believe that’s part of life. It’s part of what we are. And that makes you even more human.”
After the 2-0 semi-final win over France in Dallas, Spain skipper Rodri hailed his teammates for their composure in the face of France’s fabled strike force of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé andMichael Olise.
“We are very much satisfied with the team’s progress,” said Rodri on the eve of the final.
“But we are far more ambitious than this. We have a great challenge ahead of us, a very beautiful challenge in order to make people proud of this generation.”
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