Former defender of "Barcelona", 2010 world champion in the Spanish national team, Gerard Pique, shared his expectations before the grand final of the 2026 World Cup, where the national teams of Argentina and Spain will compete against each other. Pique specifically referred to his former teammate and Argentine leader Lionel Messi, emphasizing his exceptional game intelligence.
"Messi has many virtues, and one of them is his intelligence. He is well aware that he is no longer 25 years old, but he knows how to occupy a position from which he can create maximum danger. A unique natural talent allows him to find the right moments to enter the penalty area, quickly join attacks with short passes or move to the wing to make fantastic passes. Needless to say, he is the best in the final stage of attacks," Pike's words are quoted by the AS periodical.
The former Spanish football player also warned his compatriots, emphasizing the multifaceted danger of the Argentine team.
"I think the Spanish national team has mastered this well. No matter how many players you attach to Messi to stop him, he will still find a loophole. And if not, then the attention focused on him will create favorable conditions for other Argentine football players, because the Argentine national team is not only Messi. I hope that Spain will win, but if Argentina wins, I will be extremely happy for Messi," Pique added.
The main match of the 2026 World Cup, the final between Argentina and Spain, will take place today, July 19, at the "Metlife Stadium" in East Rutherford, USA. The match will start at 23:00 Yerevan time. Lionel Messi is the current world champion in the Argentina national team.
Let's also remind that Pique and Messi played together in the Catalan "Barcelona" from 2008 to 2021, jointly winning 30 titles.
