Ex-USMNT star warns of ‘emotional conundrum’ facing Spain should Lionel Messi reach World Cup final

By admin — In News — July 15, 2026

   ​England and Argentina are set to battle it out for a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, where they would take on Spain on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey.The two soccer giants face off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, at 3pm ET on Wednesday, a day after Spain took down France with ease, 2-0, in Arlington, Texas.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFor England, it’s a chance to reach just their second-ever World Cup final, having won the title back in 1966. As for Argentina, they are looking to defend their crown and, in so doing, win their nation’s fourth World Cup in what could be superstar Lionel Messi’s last dance.Who is the referee for the Spain vs France FIFA World Cup semifinal?Messi is most well-known for his legendary career in Spain with Barcelona -Credit:David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty ImagesShould Argentina reach their seventh ever World Cup final, it would be a particularly emotional event for Messi, given that he spent the majority of his career plying his trade for Spanish giants Barcelona.And according to ex-U.S. Men’s National Team forward-turned-analyst Taylor Twellman, the same could be said for fans back in Spain. Appearing on ‘Yahoo Sports Daily,’ he said, “The emotional component of this is massive.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Lionel Messi made a name for himself where? In Spain, for Barcelona. Only the Real Madrid fan will not recognize that. And even they will understand, ‘Okay, we’re not a fan of him, but we’ll recognize and respect what he did with Barcelona.’“Every other Spanish fan has a level of knowledge of the aura that Lionel Messi has in Spain. He resonated for the majority of his life with Spain. There was even a question of whether or not he would play for the Spanish national team.To listen to the latest episode of ‘All Out Soccer’ – CLICK HERE“A lot of people forget this, but when he made his move to Barcelona, there was a real declaration of trying to get Lionel Messi to play for the Spanish national team because he had moved to Barcelona when he was 14.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“So this is emotionally a very interesting conundrum for them. Because if Argentina beats England today, does Spain really want to be the team that Lionel Messi and Argentina lose to in his final game in a World Cup final? I just, listen, obviously the answer to that is ‘Sure, we’ll take that,’ but it’s a heavy moment for them.”Regardless, for Spain, Sunday’s game represents an opportunity to win their second-ever World Cup in as many finals (having previously won in 2010), whilst also repeating their historic feat of holding both the UEFA European Championship and the World Cup at the same time.To date, Spain and Argentina have met 14 times, winning six games apiece and drawing twice. Their most recent game came back in 2018 when Spain came out on top 6-1 in a friendly.As for Spain’s record against England, in 28 games La Roja has co  

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