The best offense. The best defense.The World Cup final is set, and fittingly, a clash of styles awaits. Lionel Messi — the most prolific goalscorer in the tournament’s history — and defending champion Argentina will take on Spain’s defensive juggernaut on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to decide the title.Spain beat France in one semifinal on Tuesday; Argentina, the comeback kings of this tournament, rallied to beat England 2-1 in the other semifinal on Wednesday.Argentina is seeking its fourth title and looking to become the first back-to-back World Cup champions since Brazil pulled off the feat in 1958 and 1962. Spain is looking for its second title, after winning in 2010.Argentina leads the tournament in goals scored — 19.Spain leads the tournament in fewest goals allowed — one.Something will have to give on Sunday, when the biggest World Cup ever — a 48-team, 104-match extravaganza spread out over the U.S., Canada and Mexico — comes to an end.It’s not Finalissima. It’s going to be better.
South American champion Argentina and European champion Spain were supposed to meet in Doha, Qatar, back in late March in Finalissima, a showdown between the teams that are led by Messi and Lamine Yamal in a prequel of the World Cup.That game never happened. Security became an issue because of unrest in the Middle East, with Iran intensifying its attacks on neighboring countries at that time in retaliation to the aerial attacks by United States and Israel in a war that is still ongoing. The game was called off.
