Spain will face Argentina in the World Cup final, with Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal, and history dominating the buildup.
Spain and Argentina will face off in the World Cup final on Sunday in New Jersey, with the trophy and a place in football history on the line.
Away from the pitch, the focus has been on Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal, predictions, wildfire smoke, and the referee picked for the sport’s most important match.
This will be only the second FIFA World Cup match between Spain and Argentina. Their sole prior meeting occurred during the 1966 group stage, when Argentina defeated Spain 2-1.
Since the turn of the century, Spain has had the upper hand in this match, winning three of their four meetings with Argentina.
According to the Opta supercomputer, Spain is the frontrunner to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In 25,000 pre-match simulations, Spain won 59.6 percent of the time, while Argentina won the remaining 40.4 percent.
In 45% of the simulations, Spain declared victory based solely on the results after 90 minutes. In 29.0 percent of runs, there was a draw, forcing extra time; in the remaining 26 percent, Argentina prevailed in regular time.
Spain’s predicted lineup
(4-2-3-1): Simon (goalkeeper); Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal
Argentina’s predicted lineup
(4-1-3-2): Martinez (goalkeeper); Molina, Romero, Lisandro, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez
Spain vs Argentina: Head-to-head
Argentina defeated Spain 2-1 in the group stages of the 1966 World Cup; therefore, this will only be their second encounter in the tournament’s history.
- Matches: 16
- Spain wins: 6
- Argentina wins: 6
- Draws: 2
Messi sends emotional letter to his fans
Prior to the World Cup final, Messi sent a heartfelt statement expressing gratitude to his teammates, coaches, and supporters for their unwavering support.
On the eve of the championship game, the Argentina captain wrote on Instagram on his time with the national team, stating that the experiences he cherishes most go beyond the trophies they have won.
“The most beautiful thing about all these years was never just the titles, but the entire journey,” Messi wrote. “Sharing day-to-day life with this group, competing together, picking ourselves up in the difficult moments, and enjoying every step.”
