Spain and Argentina will battle for the FIFA World Cup title on Sunday at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, with football’s biggest prize and a place in history on the line.

Spain enter the final as slight favourites, according to Opta’s pre-match simulations.

The analytics firm gave the Europeans a 59.6% chance of lifting the trophy, while defending champions Argentina were assigned a 40.4% probability of retaining their crown.

The two sides have met only once before at a World Cup, with Argentina edging Spain 2-1 during the group stage in 1966.

Since 2000, however, Spain have won three of their four meetings against the South Americans, said a report in Al Jazeera.

The build-up to the final has been dominated by speculation over whether the match will be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup appearance, while many fans view Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal as the player poised to inherit the Argentine star’s mantle on the global stage.

Messi also shared an emotional message with supporters on the eve of the final, thanking his teammates, coaching staff and fans for their unwavering support throughout his international career.

“The most beautiful thing about all these years was never just the titles, but the entire journey,” the Argentina captain wrote on Instagram.

Meanwhile, concerns over air quality eased after smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted across parts of the northeastern United States earlier this week.

A cold front is expected to improve conditions before kickoff.

More than 80,000 spectators are expected to attend the final at the open-air stadium, while thousands more are set to gather at public viewing events across New York City.

FIFA has appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic to officiate the final, making him the first official from Slovenia to take charge of a men’s World Cup title decider.

Vincic, who previously refereed the 2024 UEFA Champions League final, said he was overwhelmed when informed of his appointment, describing it as the fulfilment of every referee’s dream.

Elsewhere, Times Square turned into a sea of sky blue and white as Argentina supporters flooded the streets ahead of the final, while fans also highlighted Cape Verde’s remarkable achievement as the only team neither Spain nor Argentina managed to defeat in regulation time during the tournament.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also publicly backed Argentina ahead of the final after receiving a national team jersey from the country’s ambassador to Israel.