The 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament will end in one match between Spain and Argentina.
It’s hard to argue that the European champions and world number one team facing the South American champions and World Cup holders isn’t a fitting finale.
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France had moved into pole position as favorites to win the tournament, but England appeared to have their best chance since their only victory 60 years ago.
Nevertheless, there is a lot to be selective about when it comes to finalists, and Al Jazeera does just that.
Argentina – World Cup Holder and South American Champion
Number of past World Cup appearances: 18
Best Performance: Winner (1978, 1986, 2022)
First appearance: 1930 (Uruguay)
World Cup total results: P94 W53 D17 L24 F171 A103
FIFA World Ranking: 3rd place
Summary: If Qatar’s 2022 challenge got off to a shocking start with a loss to Saudi Arabia, Argentina’s 2026 challenge may be seen as a mere flyer by comparison.
But the truth is that this is far from vintage Argentina, especially considering Lionel Messi is still the center of the team. Despite this, this is why the 39-year-old continues to defend his title.
The last team to win the World Cup twice in a row was Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Italy also holds the title, so the list Argentina is looking to join is very short.
Strength: Argentina’s obvious and unparalleled strength, at least in this competition, is none other than Messi. The Inter Miami forward is expected to score eight goals and win the Golden Boot award. The midfield trio of Enzo Fernandes, Alexis Mac Allister and Paredes in front of the last line have been seen as the enforcers of the tournament, protecting Messi as much as the last line. They were even compared to the Argentine legend’s personal bodyguards.
Weaknesses: Due to their heavy dependence on Messi, Argentina’s weakness is their ability to replace key players. If Messi is injured, Argentina’s already widening chances will be further extended. They have the speed and smarts of Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez, and the goals of Lautaro Martinez. They also have strength in defense and midfield retention, but will they shine without Messi? Perhaps no team in the 2026 World Cup will be so dependent on one player.
Form Guide: Argentina hasn’t lost a match since losing 1-0 to Ecuador in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. Since then, the South American champion has won 14 straight games.
The Argentine scored eight goals in the World Cup’s group stage and conceded only once in the final match against Jordan, who had already secured a place in the last 32.
Knockout wins have proven to be much trickier, with 3-2 wins over Cape Verde and Egypt in the last 32 and last 16 respectively.
A 3-1 victory over Switzerland ensured a place in the quarter-finals, but that match, like Cape Verde’s victory, required extra time.
They won 2-1 against England in the semi-finals, and although they were leading Egypt 2-0 with 11 minutes left in the 90th minute, this was their second major upset of the tournament.
Players to watch: Not only did Argentina give England a hard time, but they also made the most of the attacking talent that started off the bench.
Manager Lionel Scaloni introduced Rodrigo de Paul and Nicolas Gonzalez along with Lautaro Martinez. Messi is irreplaceable, but the Argentine will need to make the most of the resources around him if he is to aim for victory.
On the other side, Lisandro Martinez continues to be at the heart of the defence.
Spain – European champions and number one team in the world
Number of past World Cup appearances: 17
Grand Prize: Winner (2010)
World Cup total results: P74 W37 D18 L19 F121 A76
FIFA ranking: 1st place
Overview: Spain
Spain bounced back from two devastating defeats at the World Cup, with a chance to become European and world champions for the second time after failing to reach the quarter-finals in the previous two tournaments.
The Spaniard became the only Spaniard to win a world title in 2014, two years after winning his first continental title.
Their number one ranking by FIFA at the time of their entry into the competition was primarily based on their victory at Euro 2024.
Strengths: Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, now 19 and 24 years old respectively, were the hope of Spain to conquer the continent in 2024, but neither has featured at the World Cup.
Yamal’s fitness for the tournament was a concern, given that he missed the end of Spain’s domestic season with a hamstring injury, while Williams was mostly limited to cameos off the bench in North America.
Argentina’s defense has been praised, but Spain have only conceded one goal in this competition so far. Their organization as a nation, whether at club or international level, is nothing short of perfect.
Tiki-taki, a fast and short passing game, originated in Spain during Josep Guardiola’s time at Barcelona. Ironically, at that time Messi was at the forefront of the Catalan club and was the main reason for its success.
The Spanish team, with Rodri and Fabian Ruiz acting as the anchor in midfield, will once again aim for an intense possession-based game in hopes of winning.
Weaknesses: In most things in life, strengths can also become weaknesses. There were question marks about Spain this time around, but most of it was moving at a pedestrian pace.
The short passing game remains, but this time it wasn’t as quick and effective, especially against low blocks. This is likely to happen against Argentina.
Cape Verde, Uruguay, Portugal and Belgium are all in very difficult situations, but so far most teams have prepared themselves that way against Spain. The neutrals will be keen to score an early goal for Spain, so they will likely bring the Argentine into the match.
Form Guide: The opening match of the tournament was against Cape Verde, but the 0-0 draw secured by the African debutant team was seen as one of the big shocks of the World Cup group stage.
They then achieved a long-awaited victory against Saudi Arabia with a huge margin of 4-0, and Spain advanced to the group as the group winners with a narrow 1-0 victory against Uruguay.
Austria lost 3-0 in the last 32, but then faced big challenges against Portugal and Belgium. Neither team was easily shaken off, and although the difference was one point, they still won.
France was the ultimate test for any team hoping to win the trophy. Spain successfully overcame this challenge.
Spain have not suffered a defeat in 37 games since falling 1-0 in an international friendly against Colombia in March 2024.
Their last loss in a competitive match was against Scotland in March 2023 in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
Player to watch: Yamal has only scored once this tournament against Saudi Arabia, while Williams, another star player, has yet to score.
As with the two late shows in which Messi has already saved Argentina, it feels like something special is bound to come from one of them, even if it’s in the final stages of despair.
A big factor in the final will be whether at least one of the show’s megastars can shine and in doing so leave an indelible impression.
It’s hard to imagine the tournament ending without Yamal producing something memorable. The winger won his second consecutive La Liga title with Barcelona this season and was named the best player.
Either team would happily go for a boring 1-0 win if that’s what it takes. Expecting global viewers will expect otherwise.
