Spain vs. Argentina: World Cup Final Preview

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18 July 2026

Spain vs

Argentina

will be the 104th and final match of this expanded, explosive 2026

FIFA

World Cup

. A dream matchup for FC

Barcelona

fans, Sunday’s final will be a rematch of the canceled Finalissima that was expected to take place earlier this year. With

Lamine Yamal

aiming to complete international soccer at 19 and

Lionel Messi

aiming to win back-to-back World Cups, becoming the first man to do so since Pelé in 1962, the stage is perfectly set.

Any lingering doubts about Spain’s ability to handle elite attacking talent were erased in the previous round. Facing a French side desperate to seek some revenge for their recent European Championship and Nations League losses to

La Roja

, Luis de la Fuente’s men delivered a clinical 2-0 victory against the tournament favorites.

Spain absorbed early pressure before breaking the game open in the 22nd minute. A foul in the box handed Mikel Oyarzabal a penalty, which he coolly converted. From there, the Spanish midfield put on a clinical display. Rodri and Fabián Ruiz choked out the center of the park, completely isolating Kylian Mbappé. In the 58th minute, right-back Pedro Porro surged forward to double the lead, sealing the match. France had no answers.

Spain showed their defensive dominance once again keeping their 6th clean sheet of the tournament against the most lethal attack in the competition. Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé – no one could break through the trifecta of Unai Simón, Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte.

While

Spain

cruised,

barely survived an absolute thriller against England in Atlanta. Lionel Scaloni’s side found themselves trailing in the 54th minute after Anthony Gordon put the Three Lions ahead. For 30 minutes, it looked like the defending champions were heading out.

But in the 84th minute, Enzo Fernández found the equalizer to bring momentum to his team. Then, in the dying moments of stoppage time, substitute Lautaro Martínez, the hero of so many tight matches, buried the game-winner to shatter English hearts and send

back to the final.

Does it even need to be said that

assisted both goals?

After dropping Pedri from the starting XI and adding more bravery in midfield,

have looked much sharper. De la Fuente has constructed a 4-1-2-3 machine that rarely makes unforced errors.

The game plan for Sunday is straightforward: deny

the space that they thrive on.

will look to establish 60-65% possession, using the passing triangles of Rodri, Fabian, and Dani Olmo to bypass Argentina’s aggressive midfield press led by Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández.

Defensively, the pairing of Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsí faces its biggest test. Their objective is to stay compact and prevent Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez from finding pockets of space inside the box. On the wings, expect one of Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro to push high, though Cucurella is most likely to be the one staying behind. The newly signed Real Madrid left-back will face his toughest task in Messi, and Porro has anyway shown more attacking intent with his two goals in the tournament.

Spain must make sure they don’t repeat what England did, which was sitting back and allowing

to build momentum. That only invites pressure for this Argentine team that thrives in it. But leaving too much space is dangerous for the little man on the opposing team, as he can decide the game on his own if granted space. Speaking of the little man…

You could not script a more poetic storyline for the

2026

Final than the ultimate generational clash between

and

. This is the definitive “passing of the torch” narrative, pitting the 39-year-old Argentine legend against the newly turned 19-year-old Spanish prodigy.

Adding another layer to the matchup is the now-famous 2007 charity photoshoot where a 19-year-old Messi famously bathed a baby Yamal. Nineteen years later, that same baby is standing between Messi and back-to-back

titles.

Contender for the most remarkably bonkers sports photo of all time: a 20-year-old Lionel Messi bathing a five-month-old Lamine Yamal (taken in 2007 for a UNICEF fundraiser). [kottke.org]— kottke.org (@kottke.org) 2026-07-15T17:38:01Z

While Messi has had a stellar tournament, leading the charts in both goals and assists,

has had a relatively quieter campaign. But the coincidences surrounding this final are remarkable.

Messi was 19 when that photograph was taken. Yamal is 19 now. Nineteen years later, they’ll face each other in the

Final on July 19. Both scored their first

goal at 18 while wearing the No. 19 jersey. When that photo was taken, Messi himself wore No. 19, the same number Yamal will wear in this final.

Funnily enough, this will also be Argentina’s 19th

appearance out of the tournament’s 23 editions.

won the 19th edition of the

in 2010.

The coincidences just keep piling up.

is perfectly balanced historically. The two nations have met 14 times, with six wins apiece and two draws.

Their first and only meeting at a

came during the 1966 group stage, where

narrowly defeated

2-1.

However, their most recent meeting on the field was a one-sided affair in 2018, when

dismantled

6-1 in an international friendly.

Their most recent scheduled meeting, however, was supposed to be the Finalissima in March 2026 before it was canceled. Instead, that matchup has now become the biggest game in international soccer: the

Final.

Spain must absolutely stick with the midfield pairing that worked so well against France and avoid overthinking Nico Williams’ return in place of Álex Baena simply because he has recovered. The team’s chemistry is too strong at this stage of the tournament to make unnecessary changes. Expect an unchanged starting XI.

| Expected Starting XI for Spain

Likewise,

have shown that using Giuliano Simeone as a wide attacking threat instead of another central midfielder has worked well. The only possible change could be Lautaro Martínez replacing Julián Álvarez, but Álvarez should keep his place because of his understanding with Messi, while Lautaro is once again likely to be used as an impact substitute.

| Expected Starting XI for Argentina

Spain 2-1

Messi’s magical run will come to an end at the hands of

, but not before inflicting damage to the best defensive team in

history.

will have his coronation as the new leader of this generation, while Messi bows out gracefully having conquered this sport.

Lionel Messi reveals his Lamine Yamal hope ahead of World Cup final

Get Spanish Football News

Nearly 20 years on from Messi bathing Yamal, to a World Cup final

Radio Gol

The remarkable photos of Lionel Messi and baby Lamine Yamal as pair prepare to clash in World Cup final

The Independent

Argentina XI vs Spain: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup, injury latest for World Cup final

Evening Standard

Lionel Messi reacts to iconic Lamine Yamal photo before World Cup final: ‘It’s crazy…’

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