EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – On the eve of one of the most anticipated FIFA World Cup finals in modern history, the global sports community converged on New York’s Fanatics Fest on Friday night for an unprecedented pre-tournament event that brought together some of the biggest names in global sports alongside the two finalist squads. The star-studded gathering, which deviated from traditional pre-final media formats, saw sporting icons from across disciplines join Argentina and Spain’s teams for a one-of-a-kind question-and-answer session that highlighted the magnitude of Sunday’s title match.
The lineup of sports royalty on stage left attendees awestruck: NFL legend Tom Brady, holder of more Super Bowl titles than any other player in history; men’s tennis Grand Slam record-holder Novak Djokovic; and Kevin Durant, the only men’s basketball player in history to claim four Olympic gold medals. By the end of the night, every elite athlete in attendance joined a group selfie with the player who has remained the center of attention throughout the tournament: Argentina captain Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the greatest men’s soccer player of all time.
FIFA made the unconventional choice to hold pre-final press activities at Fanatics Fest, a four-day fan-focused sports celebration packed with autograph sessions, celebrity activations and interactive exhibits. This decision gave hundreds of ordinary fans a rare up-close look at Messi and the two finalist teams, a level of access that is virtually unheard of in traditional closed media events ahead of major tournament finals. The event also deviated from standard press formats by swapping questions from traditional sports journalists for questions from the cross-sport legends in attendance.
Brady kicked off his questioning by asking Messi about a viral photo that has circulated across social media this week, showing a young Messi bathing a baby who grew up to become Spain’s breakout star Lamine Yamal. “What a crazy picture,” Messi responded. Djokovic followed by asking Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni about managing pressure ahead of the biggest match of the tournament, before turning the same question to the Argentine captain, ending his question with a simple, gracious “Gracias, Leo.” Djokovic later asked Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and captain Rodri about maintaining composure in high-stakes matches, while Durant asked Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez what back-to-back World Cup glory would mean for the defending champions.
Spain captain Rodri opened up about Messi’s standing in the sport ahead of the match, saying, “It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player and what he means for Argentina. Obviously, for me, he’s the greatest of all times.”
Messi’s final public appearance before Sunday’s final came as Argentina enters the match as the only remaining undefeated and untied team in the tournament, with a 7-0-0 record, but their road to the final was far from smooth. The defending champions had to stage two dramatic second-half comebacks: erasing a 1-0 deficit to defeat England in the semifinals and overcoming a 2-0 gap to beat Egypt in the Round of 16. Argentina also was pushed to extra time by Cape Verde in the Round of 32 and Switzerland in the quarterfinals. “I’ve said many times: We never stop fighting,” Messi said.
Scaloni emphasized that the team is approaching the final like any other match to manage the immense pressure. “It’s one more game. We cannot really think about the fact that it’s a World Cup final,” he said. Spain, by contrast, enters the final with a 6-0-1 record after drawing its opening group stage match against Cape Verde. The Spanish side has spent years building its squad through multiple tournaments to reach this title decider.
When Messi walked onto the packed theater stage on Friday, most attendees erupted in cheers, many abandoning applause to hold up their phones to capture photos of the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner. Messi acknowledged the crowd with a smile and a wave, drawing an even louder roar from the audience. By the end of the event, the entire group of attendees – including the two national squads, comedian and actor Kevin Hart, rapper Travis Scott, England soccer legend Rio Ferdinand, and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin – gathered for a group selfie with the crowd of fans in the background.
Argentina is vying to make history on Sunday: no men’s national team has won consecutive World Cup titles since Brazil claimed back-to-back trophies in 1958 and 1962. For Messi, a win would add another unprecedented milestone to a career already filled with historic achievements. Martinez emphasized the team’s motivation heading into the match. “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,” he 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.”
Scaloni summed up the global anticipation for the match, saying, “Sunday is going to be a great show.” Organizers estimate that roughly 1.5 billion viewers around the world will tune in to watch Messi and Argentina face Spain for the World Cup title.