Hours before Argentina's FIFA World Cup final against Spain, thousands of fans transformed New York City's iconic Times Square into a sea of blue and white, creating a carnival-like atmosphere ahead of the biggest match in world football.
Supporters draped in Argentina jerseys waved flags, sang traditional chants and celebrated Lionel Messi , hoping to see the defending champions lift the trophy once again at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The vibrant gathering attracted tourists and football fans from around the world, with many stopping to join in the celebrations and capture the spectacle.
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Argentina head into the final chasing back-to-back World Cup titles after another dramatic campaign led by Messi, who has scored eight goals in the tournament and taken his overall World Cup tally to 21.
Lionel Scaloni's side enjoyed a perfect group stage with three wins before surviving a series of tense knockout matches.
The defending champions needed extra time to edge Cabo Verde 3-2 before producing one of the tournament's greatest comebacks against Egypt, recovering from 2-0 down late in the game to win 3-2.
They then defeated Switzerland after extra time in the quarter-finals before overcoming England 2-1 in the semi-finals, thanks to goals from Enzo Fernandez and substitute Lautaro Martinez.
Standing in their way is a confident Spain side that has impressed throughout the tournament. After topping Group H, Spain eased past Austria before edging Portugal and Belgium in hard-fought knockout matches.
Luis de la Fuente's men then produced one of their best performances of the competition by defeating favourites France in the semi-finals with a dominant display.
The final pits together the defending world champions and the reigning European champions in what promises to be a fitting conclusion to the biggest FIFA World Cup ever staged.
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