Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina may be contested under national flags, but Barcelona icons Xavi Hernandez and Javier Mascherano see the unmistakable imprint of their former club all over the showpiece.
From Spain's crop of La Masia graduates to Lionel Messi, the academy's greatest success story, who continues to decide matches at 39, Barcelona's influence runs through both finalists.
Xavi was the heartbeat of the Spain team whose tiki-taka possession style delivered the nation's first World Cup title in South Africa in 2010. Mascherano, meanwhile, shared some of the most successful years of Messi's career at Barcelona before later coaching his longtime Argentina teammate at Inter Miami until earlier this year.
The two former Barcelona stars spoke to Reuters in front of a giant LEGO World Cup trophy replica at New York's Rockefeller Center, reflecting on a final rich in personal connections and the enduring legacy of the club that shaped them both.
Spain arrive with a squad sprinkled with Barcelona 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 defied time, defenders and probability on the way to a second consecutive final.
Mascherano said nothing Messi does should surprise anyone anymore, except, of course, that it still 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.
"Every time we see him, it's a surprise because he's doing so many things that we will never, ever see from another player. So I think it will be difficult to find a player like him in the future. I think it's impossible."
Xavi, who shared years of midfield brilliance with Messi at Barcelona, said he watched Argentina's 2-1 win over England with Mascherano and could barely process what he was seeing.
"We were together watching the game, and he told me, '39 years old, and what's he doing?' It's amazing," Xavi said.
"In my opinion, he's the best in history. And he's still making a difference on the pitch. His ambition, his attitude, he's a warrior. He's absolutely the best."
Mascherano went further, saying Messi still appeared to hold the remote control to football's grandest stage.
"I think he is still showing that he is the owner of the game," he said. "He has the ball, and he makes the decisions. Sometimes he decides that he is going to win the game, and he can do that."
For the 46-year-old Xavi, pride in Sunday's final extends beyond Messi. He said watching Lamine and Cubarsi develop into World Cup finalists had been especially satisfying after seeing their confidence firsthand as teenagers.
"I feel, of course, very proud because I saw them when they were 15, Lamine; 16, Pau Cubarsi," Xavi said.
"They had the character and the passion. I remember them telling me, 'Don't worry, coach, I'm ready. No worries,' because I was a bit afraid that at 15 or 16, maybe they weren't ready and would feel the pressure. Absolutely not."
Xavi said Barcelona's footballing philosophy runs through both finalists, even if Mascherano was quick to point out Argentina do not have many current Barcelona players.
"We have to be proud of this philosophy, this idea," Xavi said. "It's one idea, and it is still alive. We are in the final with this system, even Argentina."
Mascherano added: "We don't have too many players from Barcelona, but the way we play is similar.
"For me, they're the best two teams in the tournament. Teams that play in a similar way. They like to have the ball, and they don't feel comfortable if they don't have it.
"Maybe the team that has possession will control the tempo of the game. For me, it's the best final we could have."
As for predicting a winner, neither was willing to do so.
"You never know," Mascherano said.
"It's so difficult to make a prediction," Xavi added.
"I think only God knows what is going to happen," Mascherano said. "Because it's just one game."
