Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina may be contested under national flags, but Barcelona icons Xavi Hernandez and Javier Mascherano see the unmistakable imprint of their former club all over the showpiece.
From Spain's crop of La Masia graduates to Lionel Messi, the academy's greatest success story, who continues to decide matches at 39, Barcelona's influence runs through both finalists.
Xavi was the heartbeat of the Spain team whose tiki-taka possession style delivered the nation's first World Cup title in South Africa in 2010. Mascherano, meanwhile, shared some of the most successful years of Messi's career at Barcelona before later coaching his longtime Argentina teammate at Inter Miami until earlier this year.
The two former Barcelona stars spoke to Reuters in front of a giant LEGO World Cup trophy replica at New York's Rockefeller Center, reflecting on a final rich in personal connections and the enduring legacy of the club that shaped them both.
Spain arrive with a squad sprinkled with Barcelona influence, including Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, two players handed their professional debuts as teenagers by Xavi during his spell as the club's manager.
