Tackling Messi ‘huge challenge’ for Spain in World Cup final: Merino

Spanish midfielder says helium has ‘huge confidence’ successful his abilities aft his awesome performances arsenic a substitute.

Spanish super-sub Mikel Merino admitted that neutralising the menace of Lionel Messi volition beryllium a “huge challenge” arsenic La Roja hole for their World Cup last showdown against Argentina.

“It’s a immense challenge, an unthinkable information for maine and the full team,” Merino said of facing Messi successful his quality league connected Friday.

“Being capable to play against a broadside similar Argentina, which has already won this trophy, makes the lucifer adjacent much significant, and I’m precise blessed to beryllium experiencing this moment,” Merino told reporters astatine Spain’s grooming basal successful East Hanover, New Jersey.

Argentina skipper Messi, 39, has been pivotal successful dragging the defending champions into Sunday’s last successful East Rutherford, orchestrating a 2-1 semifinal triumph implicit England with 2 assists.

Messi, the tournament’s associated top-scorer with 8 goals, besides inspired a melodramatic comeback against Egypt successful the past 16, erstwhile Argentina fought backmost from 2-0 down with 11 minutes remaining to triumph 3-2.

Arsenal ace Merino has played a decisive relation successful Spain’s roadworthy to the final, coming disconnected the substitutes’ seat to people precocious winners successful a last-16 decision of Portugal and a quarterfinal triumph implicit Belgium.

“I person unthinkable assurance successful myself and my abilities, and each clip I measurement onto the pitch, I judge I tin marque an interaction for the team,” Merino stated.

“But honestly, it doesn’t substance who the leader is; the important happening is that the squad wins successful the end. “When you triumph a title, it belongs to everyone, not conscionable the starting 11,” helium added.

Merino, meanwhile, enthused astir the “impressive” endowment of 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, who volition look Messi for the archetypal clip successful a clash representing the past and the aboriginal of FC Barcelona.

Merino, 30, predicted that the last would beryllium “an aggravated match” and that the referee would request to “control the strength and frequence of challenges and fouls”.

“The faster the shot moves betwixt us, the little clip the absorption has to perpetrate a foul,” helium noted.

The midfielder, who said helium did not person “very wide memories” of Spain’s archetypal World Cup rubric successful 2010, recalled the admiration of that trailblazing side.

“Being capable to correspond our state contiguous and beryllium those aforesaid players for caller generations – for the children watching america – is thing magical,” helium said.