- 1 Spain vs Argentina : the 2026 World Cup final
- 2 Spain have not let this tournament slip away
- 3 Argentina want to make this group immortal
- 4 Likely line-ups :
- 5 World Cup 2026 final prediction : Spain vs Argentina
- 6 First, a word on our predictions
- 7 No commitment from us
- 8 Information can change
- 9 Your role
- 10 Responsible gambling first
- 11 Legal age
- 12 About the images
Spain vs Argentina : the 2026 World Cup final 
After 103 matches, there is only one left. One final kickoff, one last night, and four years of waiting before the World Cup comes around again. On Sunday, when Spain and Argentina walk out at MetLife Stadium, the spreadsheets, the tables and the if-this-then-that chatter will finally give way to the one game that decides everything.
The pairing almost reads like two eras colliding. Lionel Messi will play a third World Cup final at 39, with a chance to keep hold of the crown he won in Qatar. Across from him, Lamine Yamal is only 19 and already looks like the face of a Spain side that has found its swagger again. Twenty years separate them, but each needs one more win to lift the same trophy.
Argentina can become the first side since Brazil in 1962 to retain the title. La Roja, European champions in 2024, are chasing a second star and a Euro-World Cup double that would echo Spain’s great side from the early 2010s. For the first time, the reigning European and South American champions meet in a World Cup final.
Spain have not let this tournament slip away 
That opening draw with Cape Verde feels like a different tournament now. Since that goalless start, Spain have racked up six straight wins and have barely given their opponents a sniff. Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France have all been worn down by a side that knows how to keep the ball and, just as importantly, how to suffer.
The semi-final was probably their most complete display yet. Against a France attack that had terrified much of the tournament, La Roja never lost their shape. Mikel Oyarzabal scored from the spot, Pedro Porro doubled the lead and Spain calmly protected their advantage without ever letting Kylian Mbappe or Michael Olise build any real momentum.
That steel has become the defining feature of their run. Six clean sheets, a tournament record for a single edition, and just 0.31 expected goals conceded per game. Spain have not trailed for a single minute at this World Cup. Even when the scoreline stays tight, they never look rattled.
Rodri is still running the show with metronomic authority. He has completed more than 650 passes in this World Cup and sets the tempo for a side that can stretch you, wear you down and then punish you. In front of him, Oyarzabal has scored five goals, while Lamine Yamal keeps tormenting opponents down the right.
Luis de la Fuente is expected to stick with the side that beat France. Yamal and Porro were rested after the semi-final, but there is no doubt over their fitness. Spain head into the last game of the tournament with their rhythm intact, their confidence high and a 37-match unbeaten run behind them.
Argentina want to make this group immortal 
Argentina have not exactly taken the scenic route. After a group stage they controlled from start to finish, they were taken to extra time by Cape Verde, ran into a two-goal hole against Egypt and were pushed hard again by Switzerland. Even England thought they might be able to stop them in the semi-final after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring.
Each time, Argentina found a way back. They have not always defended with Spain’s polish, but they do have that rare knack of flipping the final stages of games. Enzo Fernandez levelled against the English, before Lautaro Martinez came off the bench again to send the world champions into the final.
Lionel Scaloni’s men have already scored 19 goals, more than any previous Argentina side at a World Cup. They are on a 14-match winning streak in all competitions and could become the first nation to win four major tournaments on the bounce after Copa America in 2021 and 2024 and the 2022 World Cup.
At the centre of all this history, Messi is still the man around whom everything turns. With eight goals and four assists, he has been involved in 12 strikes during the tournament. He is set to join Cafu as one of the very few players to appear in three World Cup finals, with a chance to score in two straight finals.
But Argentina are no longer built around their captain alone. Julian Alvarez never stops running, Enzo Fernandez arrives from midfield at speed and Lautaro Martinez has changed three straight games from the bench. Rodrigo De Paul is expected to return to the starting line-up to give them more balance, while Gonzalo Montiel could come in at right-back for Nahuel Molina.
Likely line-ups :
Spain : Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal
Argentina : E. Martinez; Montiel, Romero, L. Martinez, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez
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World Cup 2026 final prediction : Spain vs Argentina
Spain to win the final
Argentina have already survived several near-death moments. Their experience, Messi’s brilliance and their habit of striking late make them a team nobody can write off before the final whistle. This could turn on one moment, one set piece or a game-changing cameo from Lautaro Martinez.
But Spain look stronger across the pitch. Their defence has conceded just once all tournament and has just shut down Portugal, Belgium and France in succession. Even the best attacks have rarely found a clean way into their box.
La Roja also have the tools to expose Argentina’s weak spots. Yamal can draw Tagliafico out or force a midfielder to cover, Porro gives them another outlet down the flank and Oyarzabal has been ruthless all tournament. Most of all, Rodri and Fabian Ruiz look capable of controlling long spells of possession and limiting Messi’s influence between the lines.
A final is always its own beast. Argentina know better than anyone how these nights are decided by nerve as much as skill. Even so, Spain look more balanced right now, harder to disrupt and less reliant on the run of the ball.
Sixteen years after Johannesburg, La Roja have a chance to return to the top in the 104th and final match of this World Cup.
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