Lionel Messi has one match left to chase history. Argentina faces Spain on Sunday in the final of the first 48-team FIFA World Cup, the last stop on a tournament that touched down in North Texas more than any other host city \u2013 and now boils down to two teams who took starkly different roads to get here.<\/p>\n
Argentina: Chasing History<\/p>\n
A win Sunday would make Manager Lionel Scaloni\u2019s squad the first repeat champion since Brazil won back-to-back titles in 1958 and 1962, and it would cement Lionel Messi\u2019s farewell tournament with a second straight gold star.<\/p>\n
Getting here wasn\u2019t clean. Argentina trailed at various points against Egypt and South Africa earlier in the knockout rounds before steadying itself, and it needed a stoppage-time header from Lautaro Mart\u00ednez to defeat<\/a> England 2-1 in the semifinal, per FIFA. That\u2019s been the pattern for Messi and crew: shaky stretches, then a finishing punch when it matters.<\/p>\n However, the defending champs have exuded confidence throughout the entire tourney.<\/p>\n Spain: Star-Studded And Ready For A Fight<\/p>\n Spain has had a somewhat more composed and calmer path to the finals.<\/p>\n \u201cLa Roja\u201d is playing in its first World Cup final since 2010, when it beat the Netherlands in extra time for the country\u2019s only title, and it arrived at MetLife by handling France 2-0 in the other semifinal. Back on July 6 at \u201cDallas Stadium\u201d in Arlington, The Dallas Express provided live coverage of Spain\u2019s Round of 16 win<\/a> over Portugal, a match that doubled as Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s stated World Cup farewell.<\/p>\n Yamal is the name to watch. At 19, he\u2019s locked in his name as one of the most dangerous attackers in the game and is potentially in the mix for the Golden Boot alongside Messi. Spain\u2019s approach hasn\u2019t changed since the group stage: patient possession with quick combinations through midfield.<\/p>\n Looking Ahead, And Taking A Look Back<\/p>\n DraftKings Sportsbook lists Spain as the money line favorite for Sunday\u2019s final, as of press time, with the total set at 2.5 goals and the under favored, showing expectations of a tight, low-scoring match. Recent World Cup finals fit that script, but Argentina has repeatedly found that second wind when it matters most. Anyone who watched its comeback win over England knows that.<\/p>\n North Texas has its own stake in how this tournament wraps up. Dallas Stadium hosted a full slate of World Cup matches this summer \u2014 nine in all, more than any other stadium \u2014 and international visitors made it clear the DFW was a gold star host. Fans and players kept turning up in cowboy hats: Erling Haaland<\/a> made a stop at a Downtown Dallas Western store for boots and a custom belt buckle, and David Beckham<\/a> showed up in a white Stetson for the tournament\u2019s final Dallas match, joking around with actor Cole Hauser about looking like a \u201cTexas gangster.\u201d<\/p>\n Between the rodeos, the barbecue runs, and soccer stars going full cowboy for a day, Texas left its mark on this World Cup as much as the World Cup left its mark here. That North Texas chapter of the World Cup is closed now, but it\u2019s part of the backdrop as the tournament heads to New Jersey for its final chapter.<\/p>\n The third-place match between France and England kicks off Saturday in Miami, a rematch of sorts for two teams that exited the tournament one round short of the final. The final itself is scheduled for Sunday at noon Central, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.<\/p>\n Whatever happens Sunday, one story ends: either Messi closes his World Cup career exactly the way he wants to, or Spain gets its second star after 16 years of waiting for another shot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lionel Messi has one match left to chase history. 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