Mesi and Yamal set for historic 20-year gap

Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are set to meet in the 2026 World Cup final with a 20-year, 19-day age gap, the largest ever seen between two starters from opposing sides in the showpiece.

Messi would be 39 when Argentina face Spain, while Yamal would be 19. According to Opta, no World Cup final has previously featured two starting players from the two finalists with an age difference of more than 20 years.

The match would also carry wider significance for Messi. It could be the final chapter of his Argentina career, with the veteran chasing back-to-back World Cup titles to end his international spell on a high.

Spain would stand in the way of that finish, with Yamal representing the other end of the age spectrum in a final that would link two very different generations on the same stage.