Spain vs. Argentina: How Lamine Yamal's Roja can surpass Lionel Messi's Albiceleste after 1-0 World Cup 2026 final win

A determined Spain overcame a stubborn Argentina broadside to triumph the World Cup 2026 last connected Sunday, downing the holders 1-0 astatine MetLife Stadium.

La Roja substitute Ferran Torres fired location the lone extremity of the game, which was surrounded by each the spectacle a last held successful the United States would imply.

However, portion the scoreline was narrow, it would beryllium just to accidental that Luis de la Fuente's broadside were deserving victors, fixed that they were connected apical for the entirety of the contention - adjacent earlier Enzo Fernandez was sent disconnected successful second-half stoppage time.

Sunday's triumph means that Spain are present the simultaneous European and satellite champions, mirroring Argentina's occurrence successful Qatar successful 2022, which came arsenic they held the South American crown pursuing the Copa America successful 2021.

Here, aft La Roja won the World Cup final, Sports Mole takes a look astatine however Lamine Yamal's broadside tin surpass Lionel Messi's Albiceleste going forward.

Spain's World Cup winning squad person a halfway of young players

The main communicative that formed up of the World Cup last was centred astir the showdown betwixt Yamal and Messi, the stars of their respective nations.

The Inter Miami guardant is wide considered to beryllium the top subordinate successful the past of football, and astatine 39-years-old helium showed his people connected the planetary signifier erstwhile again, carrying Argentina to the last with a staggering 8 goals and 4 assists.

In stark contrast, Barcelona's Spanish winger Yamal - who has rapidly grown into 1 of the astir unsafe attackers astir - turned 19-years-old connected July 13, making him much than 20 years Messi's junior.

That property quality became the biggest ever betwixt opponents successful a World Cup last connected Sunday,  and it is notable that a fig La Roja's cardinal players are importantly younger than those of La Albiceleste.

For example, Spain centre-back Pau Cubarsi, who picked up FIFA Young Player Award and started each lucifer astatine this summer's World Cup, is conscionable 19-years-old.

Likewise, Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams whitethorn beryllium comparatively older than his teammates Yamal and Cubarsi, but helium turned 24 connected July 12.

Overall, De la Fuente selected the sixth-youngest squad astatine World Cup 2026, with an mean property of 26.19 years, portion Lionel Scaloni's Argentina ranked 40th successful presumption of mean property (28.62).

If La Roja tin proceed to make successful the coming years, it is hard to spot however teams volition beryllium capable to halt them from collecting adjacent much silverware, and Spain are definite to beryllium favourites heading towards Euro 2028.

Luis de la Fuente's Spain are overmuch much than the Lamine Yamal show

One of Argentina's biggest strengths astatine World Cup 2026 was the unity successful their squad, and the coherence of their vision, but the information that they were truthful reliant connected Messi to make was besides a large limiting factor.

La Albiceleste scored 19 times during this summer's tournament, meaning that the skipper contributed to astir 63% of their goals.

For comparison, Yamal is the headline-grabbing guardant for Spain, but helium lone recovered the backmost of the nett erstwhile connected his mode to winning the World Cup, portion besides failing to supply a azygous assistance - a publication complaint of conscionable 7 percent.

The information that La Roja boast a assortment of ways to triumph games bodes good for the longevity of their success, arsenic good arsenic the efficacy of their attack going forward.

Spain are besides capable to trust connected their awesome antiaircraft solidity to support adjacent the astir unsafe opponents astatine bay, arsenic highlighted by their 7 cleanable sheets crossed 8 World Cup games, a run that saw them concede lone once.

The underlying numbers besides showcase conscionable however singular De la Fuente's defence person been: La Roja's opponents produced a specified 2.3 expected goals this summer, averaging 0.3 xG per match, the champion per-game fig successful recorded World Cup history.

A caller epoch of planetary shot is opening aft World Cup 2026

Argentina merit the praise they person garnered for being 1 of the strongest nations astir successful the 2020s, but it is besides important to enactment the discourse surrounding their success.

For example, four-time satellite champions Germany person been a shadiness of their erstwhile selves successful caller years, and reaching the circular of 32 successful 2026 marked their champion decorativeness astatine the World Cup since their 2014 triumph.

In that aforesaid vein, five-time winners Brazil person lone gone beyond the quarter-finals connected 1 juncture since 2002.

However, a caller epoch of planetary contention is acceptable to statesman successful the coming years, with erstwhile Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp taking the reins of the German nationalist squad and Carlo Ancelotti acceptable to rebuild his Brazil squad.

Adding to the consciousness of alteration is the information that Zinedine Zidane is reportedly stepping into the France dugout to regenerate Didier Deschamps, positioning Les Bleus - who boast the astir well-stocked guardant enactment astir - arsenic superior challengers erstwhile again.

With that successful mind, the level of contention that Spain volition beryllium up against successful the adjacent aboriginal is apt to surpass the absorption Argentina bested successful the past, and if La Roja tin support their levels of occurrence successful the caller era, past their bequest volition beryllium boosted beyond that of La Albiceleste.