New York, July 18 -- Sunday's World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium will bring together the top two ranked teams in the world and two contrasting approaches to the game.
Argentina, the world's No. 1 team on the FIFA rankings, is bidding to become only the third nation to defend football's most coveted trophy, after Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.
Spain, ranked second, is chasing a second title, 16 years after its first. For eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, it will be a third World Cup final, equaling the record held by Brazilian Cafu for final appearances. Pele won three titles but played in only two finals, sidelined by injury in 1962.
Should the 39-year-old Argentina captain score, he would join five other men who...