Barca fingerprints and Messi magic all over Spain-Argentina final, say Xavi and Mascherano

NEW YORK, July 17 : Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina may be dressed in national colours but Barcelona greats Xavi Hernandez and Javier Mascherano see their old club's shadows everywhere.

From Spain's La Masia-bred youngsters to Lionel Messi, the Barca academy's most dazzling export still bending matches to his will at 39, the influence of the club is clear to see.

Xavi was a pillar of Spain's side whose tiki-taka possession game won the country's first World Cup in South Africa in 2010, while Mascherano was Messi's former team mate with Barcelona and Argentina and his coach at Inter Miami until early this year.

They spoke to Reuters in front of the giant LEGO World Cup trophy replica at the Rockefeller Center in New York ahead of a final layered with personal history.

Spain arrive with a squad sprinkled with Barca influence, including Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, two players handed their professional debuts as teenagers by Xavi during his spell as the club's manager.

Argentina arrive with Messi, who won his first World Cup in Qatar four years ago and has dragged time, defenders and probability along for a ride to a second consecutive final.

Mascherano said nothing Messi does should still surprise anyone - except, of course, that it does.

"He is a special one, you know? You cannot compare (him) with anyone. He's different, totally different," the 42-year-old Mascherano said.

"Always when we see him, always it's a surprise because he's doing a lot of things that we will never, never see in another player. So, I think in the future, it will be difficult to find a player like him. I think it's impossible."

Xavi, who shared years of midfield sorcery with Messi at Barcelona, said he watched Argentina's 2-1 win over