Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal World Cup showdown predicted to be the 'greatest ever'

With two Spanish-speaking giants, Argentina and Spain, vying for the 2026 World Cup, a Spanish broadcaster exec predicted the clash could go down as the greatest ever final.

Miguel Lorenzo, who served as Sports Content SVP at American Spanish-language network owned by NBCUniversal, told Deadline, "It's teams that have two massive followings that have tremendous history."

As Lionel Messi, a football icon, is set to play in the final, Lorenzo said this alone will bring many fans to tune in.

"It certainly doesn't hurt that for Argentina, arguably the greatest player of all time [Lionel Messi] is playing in that match," the exec continued.

"And he himself, whether he was Argentine or Spanish or any other nationality, would attract a huge following because of just how awesome he is in his career at the age of 39."

Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, Lorenzo added, is generally hailed as the "next Messi," which will make the match even more interesting when the two collide.

Already, the barnburner tournament is drawing record eyeballs for broadcasters, with both Telemundo and Fox enjoying huge audiences.

Argentina and Spain, meanwhile, will meet on July 19 for the 2026 World Cup final.