THE road ends here. After 103 matches featuring 48 countries across three nations, only Spain and Argentina remain. One more match. One more afternoon. One more place in football history.
Tonight’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey brings together two champions who reached the same destination by very different paths. Spain has squeezed the life out of opponents with relentless pressure, collective brilliance and a defense that has allowed just one goal. Argentina has survived one knockout drama after another, leaning on Lionel Messi, late heroics and an unshakeable belief that the final whistle belongs to them.
There is Messi, seeking to cap the greatest career the sport has ever seen with a second straight World Cup. There is 19-year old Lamine Yamal, the heir apparent chasing his first. There are two coaches leading teams built on collective strength rather than individual fame. And there are billions who will spend Sunday enjoying the beautiful game on its biggest stage.
In tonight’s game there will be a half-time show which is set to be the longest in the tournament’s history.
An 11-minute Super Bowl-style show will included performances from Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber and K-pop boy band BTS. Due to the time to set-up for the entertainment and then take it all down before the second half – half-time could last more than 25 minutes.
Although Fifa has been briefing that it will be about 20 minutes long, it is understood that timeframe could stretch due to the number of variables involved.
Luis de la Fuente sticks with the same Spain XI that started their World Cup semi-final win over France.
Spain XI: Simon, Cucurella, Laporte, Cubarsi, Porro, Ruiz, Rodri, Baena, Olmo, Yamal, Oyarzabal
Lionel Scaloni makes three changes to the Argentina XI that started the semi-final win over England.
Nahuel Molina, Giuliano Simeone and Leandro Paredes all drop to the bench, with Gonzalo Montiel, Rodrigo De Paul and Nico Gonzalez starting.
Argentina XI: Martinez, Tagliafico, Martinez, Romero, Montiel, Gonzalez, Fernandez, Mac Allister, De Paul, Alvarez, Messi
Lionel Messi finally achieved his destiny by winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Four years on, Argentina are 90 minutes (perhaps slightly more) away from immortality. Can they become just the third team ever to retain their crown?
It is clear that defending champions Argentina have all been pulling in one direction this tournament and that direction is Lionel Messi.
The 39-year-old will cement his status as the G.O.A.T if he wins a second consecutive World Cup trophy tonight, becoming only the second captain to do so.
It is remarkable to think that Messi initially retired from international football back in 2016 before changing his mind.
The World Cup final will be his 34th appearance in the competition, but will it be the last we see of Messi in the famous blue and white stripes?
If he goes until the 2030 World Cup, he will be 43. You wouldn’t put it past him to be honest.
This World Cup he has been as magic as he’s ever been.
We can’t wait for this match. You have the calm and control of Spain and then you have the chaos and the carnage which is calculated in a way from Argentina. Their will to get through games and win games when they have looked broken and beaten, there’s so much to admire about the spirit they have.
We still make Spain favourites. They have been the best team. They have played the best football. We think they’ll control the game today but Argentina always have a moment or two.
These are the two most successful sides in the 21st century. There are bragging rights that we are playing for here. But that success has come in many different ways for both teams, so I think it is fitting that it gets decide this final.
The confidence I have comes from the fact that having won it once and seen what’s happening now and the players that we’ve got and the ones that could replace them, it’s just a feeling tat we can be back. That is a great feeling to have but in any case you have to embrace everything that’s happening here.
Whatever happens it is absolutely fantastic to be part of this.
If we had a naira for every time we’ve seen this picture of Lamine Yamal as a baby with Lionel Messi since their respective sides booked a place in the final, well we’d probably have at least a million naira by now.
I wonder what Messi would have said then if someone had told him he would one day face that baby in the World Cup final?
The photoshoot took place in the away dressing room at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium.
Yamal’s family had won a competition to be there and The photoshoot took place in the away dressing room at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium.
Lamine Yamal’s family had won a competition to be there and on the day were, by chance paired with Messi.
The photos were taken by Jean Montfort.
“It is a true miracle of destiny”, Monfort tells BBC Sport.
“It is serendipity – when you find something extra special, so much bigger than you ever thought.
“If you wrote this in a film it would not seem possible.”
ANALYSIS:
European champions Spain have been more measured in the goals department in this tournament, a quality over quantity approach if you will.
Crucially they’ve been the masters of the late goal – Arsenal’s Mikel Merino ensured their passage through the last 16 and quarter-finals with stoppage time strikes, though those heroics weren’t needed in the semi-final as they cruised past favourites France.
And, of course, they’ve also been the possession masters. Can’t win a football match if you can’t get hold of the ball, can you?
Manager Luis de la Fuente has built the tournament’s most complete side, one that controls games through the middle and wears opponents down. Rodri sets the tempo, Yamal provides the moments, and Spain rarely give the ball away cheaply. If they get on top in midfield, as they have all tournament, they can dictate a final on their terms.
Argentina are healthy, and the projected side has Lionel Messi central in a front three with Julian Alvarez and Giuliano Simeone, a slightly more attacking look than the semifinal. Rodrigo De Paul is out of the projected XI, so watch the confirmed team news there. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez brings the big-game and shootout pedigree that has decided finals for Argentina before. Check RotoWire’s player news for the confirmed lineup.
Coach Lionel Scaloni’s champions do the essentials at an elite level: control the midfield through Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister, defend the box with numbers, and trust Messi to conjure the decisive moment. They are as comfortable as any side in a tight final, and they have the temperament to win it late or from the spot.
The all-time series is dead even, 14 meetings with six wins each and two draws, though the sides have crossed paths only once at a World Cup. Their most recent meeting was a March 2018 friendly that Spain won 6-1, a result that flattered the gap between them but underlined Spain’s ceiling on a good day. There is little between these two historically, which fits a final expected to be decided by fine margins.
Spain will want the ball and will use it to pull Argentina’s block around, with Rodri setting the rhythm, Dani Olmo floating between the lines and Lamine Yamal stretching the game wide. If they control the middle third the way they have all tournament, they can suffocate Argentina and pick the moment to strike through Yamal or Mikel Oyarzabal. Patience and possession are the plan, and few do it better.
Argentina will be content to cede possession, stay compact and defend their box, then look to Lionel Messi and the runs of Julian Alvarez to punish Spain on the counter or from a set piece. They have the experience and the goalkeeper to win a tight, nervy final, and Messi only needs one opening. The risk is being pinned back for long stretches and inviting the kind of pressure Spain thrive on.
Spain get the lean. They are the better and deeper team, they control games in a way Argentina will struggle to disrupt over 90-plus minutes, and crucially they have the composure to protect a lead rather than sit back and invite trouble the way England did in the semifinal. Messi makes Argentina dangerous to the final whistle, and a late twist cannot be ruled out, but Spain’s quality and control should carry them to the title.
The final’s most watchable duel is Lamine Yamal against Argentina’s left back Nicolas Tagliafico. Yamal drifting inside onto his left foot is Spain’s biggest source of danger, and how Argentina help Tagliafico contain him could decide the match. Give Yamal room and he wins finals.
The game runs through whether Rodri can set Spain’s tempo against Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister. If Rodri dictates, Spain control the final. If Argentina’s midfield can press and disrupt him, they drag Spain into the scrappy, even contest the champions want.
Everything for Argentina bends toward Lionel Messi finding a pocket of space. Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte and Rodri have to manage where he receives without leaving Julian Alvarez room in behind. Smother Messi and Spain are in control, give him a yard in a final and he is still the most likely man on the pitch to settle it.
PREDICTIONS:
Sadiq’s Prediction: Spain could edge Argentina in a closely contested final with a 2-1 victory, relying on their superior ball retention and control in midfield. Luis de la Fuente’s side have perfected the art of dominating possession, with Rodri orchestrating play from deep while Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal create openings in advanced areas. Their ability to wear opponents down over 90 minutes has been one of the defining features of their campaign.
The battle between Rodri and Argentina’s midfield trio of Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Paredes will be decisive. If Spain succeed in controlling the middle third, Argentina may struggle to launch quick transitions to Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez. Spain’s patient build-up could eventually create the spaces needed for Yamal or Mikel Oyarzabal to strike.
History suggests there is little separating the two nations, with both sides recording six wins each in 14 meetings. However, Spain’s victory over France in the semi-final and their habit of scoring decisive late goals give them a slight edge heading into the final.
My Prediction: Spain 2-1 Argentina
Peter’s Prediction: Spain have the quality and attacking depth to secure a convincing 3-1 triumph if they impose their style early. European champions throughout the tournament, they have combined defensive discipline with creative brilliance, particularly through the emerging partnership between Rodri and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.
A key tactical duel will unfold on Argentina’s left flank, where Nicolás Tagliafico is expected to contain Yamal. Should the Barcelona youngster find space to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, Argentina could face sustained pressure. Dani Olmo’s movement between the lines and Oyarzabal’s intelligent positioning would further stretch Lionel Scaloni’s compact defensive block.
Spain also enter the final with historical confidence. Their emphatic 6-1 victory over Argentina in a 2018 friendly demonstrated the heights they can reach when everything clicks, even if the scoreline exaggerated the gap between the teams. Given Spain’s consistency throughout the tournament, another dominant display remains possible.
My Prediction: Spain 3-1 Argentina
Gbenga’s Prediction: A cagey encounter ending in a narrow 1-0 win for Spain is equally plausible. Finals are often decided by fine margins, and both teams possess the defensive discipline and tactical awareness to keep chances to a minimum.
Spain’s greatest weapon in the tournament has not necessarily been their goalscoring prowess but their ability to score at crucial moments. Mikel Merino’s dramatic stoppage-time strikes in the knockout rounds highlighted the team’s patience and composure under pressure. Against an experienced Argentine side, Spain may once again wait for the perfect opportunity rather than force the issue.
Argentina will likely sit deep, concede possession and trust Emiliano Martínez’s big-game pedigree. Yet Spain’s mastery of possession football means opponents often spend long stretches chasing the ball. If Rodri dictates the rhythm and Spain pin Argentina back, a single moment of brilliance could be enough to settle the contest.
My Prediction: Spain 1-0 Argentina
Gloria’s Prediction: Argentina remain more than capable of upsetting the European champions and lifting the trophy with a hard-fought 2-1 victory. Lionel Scaloni’s side thrive in high-pressure matches and possess one of world football’s most decisive players in Lionel Messi, who continues to be the focal point of their attack.
The South Americans will likely adopt a compact approach, surrendering possession while looking to exploit spaces behind Spain’s defence through Messi and Julián Álvarez. Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister will be tasked with disrupting Rodri’s influence and turning the match into the scrappy, physical contest Argentina prefer.
Argentina also possess an invaluable asset in goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, whose heroics in penalty shootouts and major finals have repeatedly delivered silverware. While Spain may dominate possession, Argentina’s experience, defensive resilience and Messi’s ability to produce decisive moments could ultimately swing the final in their favour.
My Prediction: Spain 1-2 Argentina
