Sawt Falasteen - Red and yellow sweep Madrid before World Cup final

Excitement built across the city centre hours before kick-off in New Jersey, as fans gathered in squares, bars and public viewing areas hoping to see Spain lift a second World Cup title, 16 years after the men's team won the trophy for the first time in South Africa.

Street vendors did brisk business selling Spain shirts and flags, while bars decorated their terraces and interiors in the national colours ahead of the match.

Javier Fernandez, 23, wrapped in a Spanish flag, said he was confident Spain's young squad would overcome Argentina.

"I think we've had an excellent tournament and we're going to prove it against Argentina," he told AFP before heading to watch the match with friends at a bar.

Two outdoor fan zones have been set up in Madrid to allow thousands of fans watch the match on giant screens, with a third set up inside the air-conditioned Movistar, the city's main indoor area for major concerts and sporting events.

Municipal buses on key routes carried Spanish flags on their fronts in support of the national team, turning a fleet used by more than one million passengers a day into a rolling celebration of La Roja as fans dream of World Cup glory.

Madrid's World Cup fever has spilled onto the capital's underground, where a train has been wrapped in the national team's bright red and emblazoned with giant images of coach Luis de la Fuente alongside players including teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Pedri. Fans often stop to photograph it as it pulls into stations.

The anticipation has even reached the nation's mobile phones, with millions of Spaniards seeing their usual operator names replaced by messages of support for the national team.

Telefonica customers have found "ConLaSeleccion" (With the national team), while other major operators have introduced their own messages.

Retailers including El Corte Ingles, Carrefour, Leroy Merlin and Ikea said they would close stores early to allow employees to watch the match.

Not all supporters were predicting a straightforward victory.

"Argentina are very good opponents," said Mercedes Rojas, a 50-year-old teacher from Toledo who travelled to Madrid with her husband to watch the match on a giant screen.

"At this stage, having reached the final, both teams deserve to win," she told AFP, adding that if Spain prevailed, she planned to celebrate "with a small beer and a tortilla".

B.Mahmoud--SF-PST