Lionel Messi Shares Stage With Brady, Djokovic And Durant Before FIFA World Cup Final

The countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final received a star-studded boost on Friday as Lionel Messi shared the stage with sporting greats Tom Brady, Novak Djokovic and Kevin Durant during a special Fanatics Fest event in New York.

Held just two days before Argentina's title clash against Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), the unique pre-final event replaced the traditional media conference with a fan-friendly format where global sports icons posed questions to the finalists.

The evening underlined Messi's unmatched global appeal, with Brady, Djokovic and Durant all joining the Argentine captain for a memorable group selfie after the session.

Messi, Brady and Djokovic Headline Unique World Cup Preview

Instead of journalists asking questions, FIFA handed the microphone to some of the biggest names in world sport. Brady quizzed Messi about the viral childhood photograph showing him bathing a young Lamine Yamal, to which the Argentine smiled and replied, "What a crazy picture."

Djokovic asked both Messi and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni how they deal with pressure before major matches, later thanking the captain with a simple, "Gracias, Leo." Durant, meanwhile, asked goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez what it would mean to become back-to-back world champions.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's final, Messi made Argentina's intentions crystal clear, saying, "We will give it our all." Spain captain Rodri also paid tribute to his opponent, describing the Argentine icon as "the greatest of all times." The event concluded with players, coaches and celebrity guests gathering for a group selfie, one of the defining images before football's biggest match.

Argentina Eye History Against Spain

Argentina enter the final unbeaten with a 7-0-0 record but have endured a dramatic route to the title decider. Lionel Scaloni's side fought back from a goal down to defeat England in the semifinals, overturned a two-goal deficit against Egypt in the Round of 16 and survived extra-time battles against Cape Verde and Switzerland earlier in the knockout stage. Reflecting on his team's resilience, Messi said, "I've said many times: We never stop fighting."

Scaloni, however, insisted his players are treating the occasion like any other match, saying, "It's one more game. We cannot really think about the fact that it's a World Cup final." Emiliano Martinez echoed that confidence, adding, "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."

If Argentina overcome Spain on Sunday, they will become the first nation since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup, adding another historic chapter to Messi's remarkable legacy.