World Cup final: Spain vs Argentina – which team has the best chance?
Spain and Argentina face off in the World Cup final. Analysis of strengths, weaknesses, form, and key players suggests a tight contest.
World Cup final: Spain vs Argentina
The 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament comes down to a final between European champions Spain and South American champions Argentina. Argentina are the defending World Cup holders, while Spain are the world's number one ranked team.
Argentina
Argentina have appeared in 18 World Cups, winning in 1978, 1986 and 2022. They are ranked third by FIFA. The team revolves around 39-year-old Lionel Messi, who leads the tournament in goals with eight. The midfield trio of Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Paredes have been praised as the tournament's enforcers, protecting Messi and the backline.
Argentina's main weakness is over-reliance on Messi. If he gets injured, the team may lack creativity, although they have pace and guile in Giuliano Simeone, Julian Alvarez and goals from Lautaro Martinez. In defence, Lisandro Martinez is the key man.
The South American champions are on a 14-game winning streak since a 1-0 loss to Ecuador in qualifying. They conceded just one goal in the group stage and scored eight. However, knockout matches have been tougher: they needed extra time against Cape Verde and Switzerland, and came from behind against Egypt and England.
Spain
Spain have played in 17 World Cups, winning only in 2010. They are ranked first by FIFA, largely due to their Euro 2024 victory. Spain have conceded just one goal at the tournament so far, and rely on possession-based tiki-taka football with Rodri and Fabian Ruiz as midfield fulcrums.
Lamine Yamal (19) and Nico Williams (24) were stars of Euro 2024 but have not fired at the World Cup; Yamal has scored only once, against Saudi Arabia. Critics point to Spain's slow tempo, especially against low-block defences, which they are likely to face from Argentina.
Spain are unbeaten in 37 matches since a friendly loss to Colombia in March 2024. Their last competitive defeat came against Scotland in March 2023. They opened the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, then secured narrow wins over Portugal and Belgium.
Prediction
Both Spain and Argentina would happily take a dull 1-0 win, but the global audience hopes for an open, entertaining final. The decisive factor could be a moment of magic from Messi or a breakout performance from Yamal.
