Spain vs Argentina - prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026 final

Defensive majesty meets violative magnificence connected the grandest signifier of them all, arsenic astatine 8pm UK clip connected Sunday evening astatine the MetLife Stadium, Spain and Argentina volition contention the first-ever men's World Cup last betwixt 2 continental champions.

La Roja question lone a 2nd men's Mundial triumph to complement their European Championship crowning from 2024, the aforesaid twelvemonth that La Albiceleste - bidding to go the archetypal squad since Brazil successful 1962 to triumph back-to-back World Cups - successfully defended their Copa America title.

The World Cup 2026 betting guide favours a Spain triumph earlier the archetypal shot is kicked, but ever since the knockout rounds began, the satellite champions person demonstrated precisely wherefore they are the satellite champions.

Match preview

Lamine Yamal this, Lamine Yamal that; portion Spain's teenage prodigy has dazzled and delighted with his dynamic dribbling quality - adjacent if it has lone brought him 1 extremity and an unofficial assistance for winning a punishment - Luis de la Fuente's resolute rearguard has stolen the World Cup 2026 spotlight.

Formerly going 649 minutes without conceding a Mundial extremity earlier Charles De Ketelaere's equaliser for Belgium - which proved meaningless acknowledgment to late-show specializer Mikel Merino - Spain recovered the look to restrain a fearsome French onslaught successful a thoroughly-deserved 2-0 semi-final triumph.

A crowd-pleasing punishment from Mikel Oyarzabal - refusing to springiness successful to the stuttering inclination - preceded a well-worked 2nd from player-of-the-tournament contender Pedro Porro, arsenic De la Fuente's men lived up to the favourites tag assigned to them by Didier Deschamps pre-game.

With Michael Olise shackled and Kylian Mbappe missing his spark, Spain restricted France to a paltry 0.31 Expected Goals successful the semi-finals, the nonstop aforesaid full that each of La Roja's World Cup opponents person averaged against them successful North America frankincense far.

Recovering from that scarcely-believable mendacious commencement against Cape Verde, the European champions caput to East Rutherford connected a six-game winning series and person coincidentally kept a never-before-seen six cleanable sheets astatine the World Cup; a caller all-time champion for a azygous men's edition.

However, the statistic supra airy successful examination to this spectacular Spanish sequence; La Roja are present unbeaten successful 37 consecutive games since losing to Colombia successful March 2024, and if De la Fuente's men travel up trumps connected Sunday, they volition surpass Italy's Euro 2020 winners and acceptable a caller grounds for the longest-ever unbeaten tally successful elder men's football.

Argentina request lone question backmost arsenic acold arsenic September 2025 for their astir caller men's planetary decision - an inconsequential 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Ecuador successful World Cup Qualifying - but La Albiceleste are present seeking their ain consciousness of immortality.

Copa America champions successful 2021 and 2024 - either broadside of their World Cup 2022 coronation successful Qatar - Lionel Scaloni's charges could go the archetypal federation successful past to triumph 4 consecutive large tournaments, frankincense making their lawsuit to beryllium labelled 1 of the greatest shot teams of each time.

The holders person frankincense acold been incapable to replicate Spain's masterful antiaircraft formula, allowing Anthony Gordon to expanse location a mayhem-inducing opener for England successful Wednesday's semi-final, earlier the Lionel Messi-inspired Albiceleste capitalised connected a Thomas Tuchel-inspired implosion.

As England invited question aft question of South American pressure, an Argentinian remontada appeared inevitable, and truthful it proved arsenic Messi teed up Enzo Fernandez and substitute Lautaro Martinez to nonstop the reigning champions into a seventh men's World Cup final.

We volition people much than you has been the attack adopted by the Argentines passim the World Cup, successful which Scaloni's broadside person present gone 5 games without keeping a cleanable expanse but person struck astatine slightest doubly successful each match, racking up a tournament-high 19 goals successful total.

Never earlier person Argentina recovered the nett truthful often successful a azygous Mundial - the 1930 harvest managed 18 goals en way to a runners-up prize - and the holders tin present emulate the 1938 Italy squad and 1962 Brazil squad arsenic conscionable the 3rd federation to support a men's World Cup title.

However, La Albiceleste person mislaid 3 of their 4 showdowns with Spain successful the 21st period - astir precocious suffering a 6-1 affable humiliation successful 2018 - but if Sunday's showpiece is to beryllium different seven-goal spectacular, thing tells america the full-time scoreline volition beryllium overmuch person this clip around.

Spain World Cup form:

Argentina World Cup form:

Team News

Twenty-one seconds was capable to spark Spanish interest connected Thursday, arsenic Yamal was filmed with a bandage connected his near limb portion the remainder of the squad took portion successful afloat training, but determination are nary superior worries surrounding his availability for the final.

The aforesaid goes for semi-final scorer Porro, who complained of muscular fatigue astatine the extremity of the France triumph and was besides spared from Thursday's signifier session, but lone arsenic a preventative measurement alternatively than arsenic an denotation of thing much sinister.

As a result, De la Fuente should person the luxury of naming an unchanged XI for the title match, meaning nary Pedri successful the starting lineup erstwhile again arsenic Fabian Ruiz and Rodri reprise their effectual partnership.

On Argentina's end, Cristian Romero and Leandro Paredes some overcame post-quarter-final cramps to commencement successful the triumph implicit England, meaning that the holders person a fully-fit radical of 26 astatine his disposal for Sunday's showdown.

While Spain are expected to instrumentality alternatively than twist, Scaloni was fixed plentifulness of nutrient for thought against England, and a mates of changes should beryllium successful store successful the wide areas.

Giuliano Simeone registered much fouls (5) than shots, dribbles and chances created combined (2) successful the semi-final, truthful Rodrigo De Paul is surely successful enactment for a instrumentality to the XI, portion Gonzalo Montiel is successful the aforesaid vessel aft Nahuel Molina's struggles against Djed Spence and Anthony Gordon past clip out.

However, match-winner Martinez is expected to beryllium confined to the seat again, arsenic Julian Alvarez joins forces with Golden Ball and Golden Boot-chasing Messi, who has refused to unopen the doorway connected a 2030 World Cup quality astatine the property of 43.

Spain imaginable starting lineup:

Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal

Argentina imaginable starting lineup:

E. Martinez; Montiel, Romero, L. Martinez, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez

We say: Spain 2-1 Argentina

Argentina ne'er cognize erstwhile they are beaten, and the holders' exceptional scoring grounds speaks for itself, but Scaloni's broadside are yet to look a squad with the antiaircraft discipline, cohesiveness and tactical ingenuity of De la Fuente's Spain.

So agelong arsenic the European champions bash not travel the Tuchel blueprint, they tin exploit the Albiceleste's well-documented rearguard vulnerabilities, bring the World Cup trophy backmost to Europe, and trigger Messi tears of calamity alternatively than the Messi tears of triumph we person go accustomed to passim a fabulous festival of football.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.

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