Leading Argentina into the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 against Spain, Lionel Messi became the first player ever to captain his country in three finals. Messi has led Argentina in the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, in Qatar in 2022, and the ongoing edition. In 2014, Messi led a team which had faced several setbacks due to injuries and eventually lost the final to Germany 1-0.

In 2022, Messi lifted the cup for the first time after Argentina defeated France on penalties at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. He claimed a brace in the final, leading to a 3-3 score line.

Argentina, the reigning FIFA World Cup champions, and Spain, winners of UEFA Euro 2024, will clash in New York/New Jersey for football’s ultimate prize. Messi has led the team in style with eight goals, just two behind French captain Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot, and four assists in the tournament.

Spain, the reigning European champions, are aiming for their first FIFA World Cup crown since 2010, while Lionel Messi’s Argentina seek back-to-back titles.

Defending champions Argentina secured a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over England in the semifinal, overturning a first-half deficit with Enzo Fernandez scoring the equaliser before Lautaro Martinez netted the stoppage-time winner to send the defending champions into the title clash against Spain.

Spain, on the other hand, secured a place in the FIFA World Cup final for the first time since their 2010 triumph after defeating France 2-0 with a composed performance.

Lamine Yamal played a key role in the win, winning a penalty after dispossessing Lucas Digne, which Mikel Oyarzabal converted in the 22nd minute to give Spain the lead. Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage after the break following a fine move with Dani Olmo, while France struggled to create clear chances.

Yamal had a goal ruled out for offside, and despite late efforts from Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni, Spain’s defence held firm to secure their sixth clean sheet in seven tournament matches.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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The OKC Thunder have traded Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for draft capital. Dort was a crucial member of the 2025 Thunder squad that won the franchise’s first championship since 1979.

On Sunday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the trade on X. According to the insider, a three-team deal between the Hawks, the Mavs and the Thunder sent Dort to Atlanta for three second-round picks. Former first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher went to Dallas.

The transaction created a buzz in the community as fans expressed their opinions in the comments section.

“Mavs just stole Risacher while OKC collects pennies on the dollar. Thunder in full tank mode fr 😂,” one fan said.

“Lakers are definitely landing Kuminga,” another fan said.

“Dort headlining a Risacher trade is just not something I ever would’ve guessed,” another fan commented.

Here are more reactions:

“Lu Dort sent to my conference to play tackle football against us ✌🏿,” one fan commented.

“Luka in a garbage west with a good team around him, I’m tearing up,” another fan commented.

“No surprise here, knew he was getting shipped outta there,” another fan said.

Lu Dort was one of the OKC Thunder’s homegrown stars. He went undrafted in 2019, but worked his way into the Thunder’s starting roster. He transformed into an All-Defensive first-team guard capable of covering the league’s best players. Dort averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in seven seasons with the OKC Thunder.

Insider shares insights on the OKC Thunder’s Lu Dort trade

After reporting the trade, Shams Charania gave fans an insight into the Thunder’s decision to trade Lu Dort in a follow-up tweet.

“Oklahoma City has now acquired seven second-round picks this offseason, shed $224 million in payroll and tax and positioned themselves comfortably under the second apron via the trades of Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins,” he wrote.

“Rather than simply declining Dort’s $17.7 million team option to save the money, the Thunder picked it up, acquired three future assets, created a $17M trade exception and placed their 2025 championship stalwart in position for a new long-term deal in Atlanta, which was not viable in OKC.”

The second apron has made it difficult for teams to hold on to players from the championship squad for a long time. The OKC Thunder made a sensible move in trading away Dort as they saved money to escape the luxury tax and give Dort a long-term future in another franchise.