Messi Vows Argentina 'Will Give it Our All' in World Cup Final; Stars Ask Questions at Unique Press Conference

Lionel Messi declared that Argentina "will give it our all" in the upcoming World Cup final against Spain, speaking at a unique, star-studded press conference at Fanatics Fest in New York. The event, designed to have athletes ask questions rather than traditional media, saw Messi share the stage with sports legends including Tom Brady, Novak Djokovic, and Kevin Durant.

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We will give it our all.

This appearance marked Messi's final public engagement before Sunday's final match. FIFA chose Fanatics Fest, a four-day sports celebration in New York featuring autograph signings and celebrity appearances, as the venue for preview news conferences. This setting offered hundreds of attendees a rare glimpse of Messi in an unconventional public forum.

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It goes beyond words what Messi means as a player and what he means for Argentina.

Spain's captain Rodri spoke highly of Messi, calling him "the greatest of all times" and acknowledging his immense significance to Argentina. The press conference format allowed for unusual interactions, such as Brady asking Messi about a viral photo of him bathing a baby, who turned out to be Spain star Lamine Yamal. Djokovic posed questions about handling pressure to both Messi and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.

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Obviously, for me, he’s the greatest of all times.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni approached the final with a measured perspective, stating, "It's one more game. We cannot really think about the fact that it's a World Cup final." Despite being the only unbeaten team, Argentina's path to the final was challenging, including comebacks from deficits in the semifinals against England and in the Round of 16 against Egypt. Spain, meanwhile, drew their opening match against Cape Verde but have otherwise been dominant.

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What a crazy picture.