Spain midfielder says stopping Lionel Messi will be the toughest test as La Roja prepare to face defending champions Argentina in Sunday’s final

Spain midfielder Mikel Merino has described containing Lionel Messi as the biggest task awaiting La Roja ahead of Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final, admitting the Argentina captain remains the player capable of deciding the tournament’s showpiece occasion on his own.

Also read: Messi inspires dramatic Argentina comeback against Egypt

Speaking on Friday at Spain’s training base in East Hanover, New Jersey, Merino said facing the defending champions and one of football’s greatest players represented both a daunting challenge and a special opportunity as Spain chase a second World Cup title.

“It’s a huge challenge, an incredible motivation for me and the whole team,” Merino told reporters.

“Being able to play against a side like Argentina, which has already won this trophy, makes the match even more significant, and I’m very happy to be experiencing this moment.”

Messi arrives at Sunday’s final in East Rutherford after another influential performance, inspiring Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England in the semi-finals with two assists.

The 39-year-old also played a decisive role in Argentina’s remarkable last-16 comeback against Egypt, helping his side recover from a two-goal deficit in the closing stages to claim a 3-2 victory.

Heading into the final, Messi shares the lead in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot with eight goals, underlining his enduring influence as Argentina seek to retain the World Cup they won four years ago.

Merino has become one of Spain’s most effective impact players during the tournament.

The Arsenal midfielder has twice come off the bench to score decisive late winners, first against Portugal in the round of 16 and then against Belgium in the quarter-finals, earning a reputation as one of Spain’s most reliable game changers.

“I have incredible confidence in myself and my abilities, and every time I step onto the pitch, I believe I can make an impact for the team,” Merino said.

“But honestly, it doesn’t matter who the hero is; the important thing is that the team wins in the end.

“When you win a title, it belongs to everyone, not just the starting eleven.”

The 30-year-old also praised teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who is preparing for the first World Cup final of his career and a highly anticipated first meeting with Messi in what many observers see as a symbolic encounter between Barcelona’s present and future generations.

Merino described the 19-year-old winger as an “impressive” talent whose rapid development has strengthened Spain throughout the tournament.

Looking ahead to the final, the midfielder predicted an intense and fiercely contested encounter, with discipline likely to prove just as important as technical quality.

“It will be an intense match,” he said, adding that the referee would need to “control the intensity and frequency of challenges and fouls.”

Merino believes Spain’s best route to limiting Argentina’s physical approach will be to move the ball quickly.

“The faster the ball moves between us, the less time the opposition has to commit a foul,” he noted.

Reflecting on Spain’s footballing journey, Merino admitted he has only limited memories of the country’s historic triumph at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but said that generation continues to inspire today’s squad.

“Being able to represent our country today and be those same players for new generations, for the children watching us, is something magical,” he said.

Sunday’s final pits two of the tournament’s outstanding teams against one another, with Argentina aiming to defend their crown and Spain seeking to lift the World Cup for the first time since 2010.

Also read: Messi nears return in major Argentina injury boost

While much of the attention will centre on Messi’s pursuit of another global title, Merino and his teammates know that slowing the Argentine captain could prove decisive in determining who leaves New Jersey as world champions.