Sawt Falasteen - Argentines out in force as New Yorkers bid farewell to World Cup carnival

"I'm very nervous because I love Argentina. It's the final. It's probably the last of Messi. So maybe it's our day. I don't know. We came across a few Spaniards but I don't look at them," said Argentine dentist Florencia Luzinin, 30.

She was among thousands of blue and white-striped Argentina fans flocking to the busy tourist hubs of central Manhattan ahead of the final game over the Hudson River in New Jersey.

Local enthusiasm for the tournament had fallen away after co-hosts the United States were knocked out by Belgium on July 6 and tickets for the final became the costliest in US sporting history.

"I think that a reaction for people to lose interest in the World Cup when their country is eliminated is the same as any sporting event," said film festival organizer Chip Parham as he prepared to watch the clash.

"In any city there is a decline in interest for any sporting event that doesn't feature a local team. With the exception of the Super Bowl."

A deadly Legionnaire's disease outbreak and extreme weather in the days before the final including ferocious storms, plus flooding and smoke from Canadian forest fires have also distracted many in the Big Apple. Air quality was back to normal at MetLife ahead of kick-off.

But Argentine fans were out in force as they made their way to the 82,500-capacity MetLife stadium, with many gathering in the city's informal tournament hub, Times Square, rekindling the World Cup buzz.

The city's Penn Station was a sea of Argentine jerseys, most emblazoned with Lionel Messi's name -- and two dogs were dressed up in the iconic blue and white strip. Spain fans swarmed around Madison Square Garden with one clutching a replica trophy.

Spain supporter Alessandra Pichler, 27, said she was expecting a 3-1 victory for Spain.

"I think the US has done a great job hosting all the games I've been to. I've been very impressed," she added.

Excitement for the global soccer spectacle in the Big Apple has progressively waned as countries with large diasporas in the city -- like Mexico and Egypt -- have been ejected.

"It's been slightly overshadowed. I think there was fatigue after all the games of the group stage and then the US getting eliminated. Spain and Argentina are also relatively small immigrant populations" in the city, said Howie Ray, 42, who cheered for England after the US ejection.

"You also have the regular folks leave for the weekend during the summer."

- 'Unaffordable' -

Fans have also been turned off by sky-high prices for the final, the costliest ever, as the average ticket price is $11,327, according to TickPick.

"A lot of my friends have felt disconnected the entire tournament due to the tickets being unaffordable," added Ray.

Fans in New York unable to secure -- or afford -- a ticket to the final will have their pick of quirky watch parties.

Global Citizen will stage an all-star show in Central Park to coincide with the fixture. The American Museum of Natural History meanwhile will give fans the chance to rub shoulders with dinosaurs while watching Messi, 39, attempt to steer Argentina to its fourth World Cup championship.

Despite some tepid reactions on the streets away from Midtown Manhattan, something of a World Cup effect has been witnessed at non-World Cup matches.

Women's team Gotham FC this week recorded the biggest turnout for a women's sporting event in New York history, city comptroller Mark Levine said.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani made headlines when he watched England succumb to Argentina with inmates at the city's notorious Rikers Island jail.

"We said from the beginning that the World Cup belongs to New Yorkers. This summer, we proved it," Mamdani said ahead of the final.

J.AbuShaban--SF-PST