Andres Iniesta believes Spain can beat Argentina in Sunday's 2026 World Cup final, but he admits there is no reliable way to stop Lionel Messi.
The Spain legend spoke ahead of the meeting at MetLife Stadium, where La Roja will chase a third World Cup title against the defending champions.
Messi remains the biggest obstacle. The 39-year-old has produced another strong tournament and heads into the final tied with Kylian Mbappe on eight goals, along with four assists.
England found out how dangerous he still is. In the semi-finals, Messi set up two goals in seven minutes to turn a one-goal deficit into a 2-1 win for Argentina.
Few people understand Messi better than Iniesta. The pair played together 488 times at Barcelona, more than any other teammate the Argentine had.
Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE in New York, Iniesta said completely neutralising Messi is unrealistic.
The 2010 World Cup final hero, who scored the goal that won Spain the trophy that year, stressed that mentality will matter as much as tactics.
Photo: yen.com.gh
He said Luis de la Fuente's players must go into the biggest match in football without fear. Iniesta believes their form throughout the tournament has earned them the right to trust themselves.
Every player understands their role, he added, no matter who starts. He said the squad has shown complete control across the competition.
Spain have built a reputation for attractive football, but Iniesta played that down. He insisted style will count for nothing if they fail to win.
The retired midfielder said he does not care who scores the winning goal. Becoming world champions is all that matters, he added.
For Iniesta, beating Messi may be impossible. He believes courage, confidence and clinical finishing could still be enough to deliver another World Cup for Spain.
The final takes place on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Source: Yen Sports
