07/17/26 07:33:00
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07/17 19:32 CDT Lionel Messi speaks in advance of World Cup final, says
Argentina 'will give it our all'
Lionel Messi speaks in advance of World Cup final, says Argentina 'will give it
our all'
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- The lineup of sports legends simultaneously on the stage at
Fanatics Fest on Friday night was almost absurd. There was Tom Brady, the
greatest Super Bowl champion of all time. There was Novak Djokovic, the winner
of more men's Grand Slam tennis tournaments than anyone else. There was Kevin
Durant, the only four-time Olympic gold medalist in men's basketball history.
And before they left, they all got a selfie with Lionel Messi.
Let that be the latest proof of Messi's power: Even the biggest stars in the
sports universe clearly enjoy a chance to be around the best soccer player of
all-time. They'll all be watching Sunday --- along with probably 1.5 billion
other people worldwide --- when Messi and Argentina face Spain in the World Cup
final.
"We will give it our all," Messi said.
The star-studded news conference was expected to be Messi's last public
appearance before Sunday's final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. FIFA decided
to use Fanatics Fest --- a four-day celebration of sports in New York, replete
with autograph signings and celebrity appearances --- as the backdrop for its
preview news conferences, meaning hundreds of people got the chance to get a
glimpse of Messi in the sort of setting not usually open to the public.
"It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player and what he means for
Argentina," Spain captain Rodri said. "Obviously, for me, he's the greatest of
all times."
The idea for the appearance by Messi and the other players and coaches from
Argentina and Spain was simple: Instead of having traditional media asking
questions, the stars got to do the asking.
Brady probed Messi about a remarkable photo that has gone viral this week of
him bathing a cute baby boy who grew up to be Spain star Lamine Yamal --- "What
a crazy picture," Messi said. Djokovic asked Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni
about dealing with pressure, then posed a version of that same question to
Messi.
And when Messi finished, Djokovic simply said, "Gracias, Leo." Djokovic then
asked Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and captain Rodri about staying calm in big
moments, before Brady asked Messi about the infamous photo with Yamal, and
Rodri about what he'll say to teammates before Sunday's final. Durant then came
out, asking Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez about what it would mean to
win back-to-back World Cups.
The Argentina and Spain sides, to their credit, seemed to enjoy the show. The
World Cup final is a spectacle, and so was the preview event.
"It's one more game," Scaloni said. "We cannot really think about the fact that
it's a World Cup final."
It was not the easiest of roads for Argentina to get back to the final, even
though the defending champions (7-0-0) are the only unbeaten and untied team
left in the tournament; Spain (6-0-1) drew its opening match against Cape Verde.
Argentina had to rally from a 1-0 second-half deficit to beat England in the
semifinals, had to rally from a 2-0 second-half deficit to beat Egypt in the
Round of 16, and got taken to extra time by both Cape Verde (in the round of
32) and Switzerland (in the quarterfinals).
"I've said many times: We never stop fighting," Messi said.
With that, the defending champions got their ticket to New York. And when Messi
walked onto that stage Friday, not many of those who were jammed inside the
theater applauded --- since they were holding their phones instead, hoping to
capture images of the moment.
Messi knew what they wanted. He smiled and waved. They roared.
When the event wrapped up, everyone --- the players, the coaches, actor and
comedian Kevin Hart, rapper and producer Travis Scott, England great Rio
Ferdinand, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and more --- gathered for that selfie
with the fans in the background.
"Sunday is going to be a great show," Scaloni said.
It seemed like Messi may have taken a quick look at the case holding the trophy
before he departed. Either way, it's not like he needs a reminder of what's at
stake. No team has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962,
and Messi now has a chance to add one more accomplishment to his already
overstuffed resume.
"We've got a group of players and a group of coaches that are working
incredibly hard every single day to try to bring happiness to my country,"
Martinez said. "We're going to give absolutely our best, with Leo, with the
team that we have, to bring the World Cup back to my country and celebrate with
our people."
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See more of AP's World Cup coverage here
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