Overview
After 103 matches, World Cup 2026 only has the most anticipated match left: the final between Argentina and Spain. This is not only a battle to determine the new world champion but also gathers a series of rare historical milestones.
Argentina entered the match as the defending World Cup champion. If they successfully defend the title won in Qatar in 2022, Lionel Scaloni's team will become the third team in history to hold the gold cup through two consecutive World Cups, after Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962).
In the opposite direction, Spain is the reigning European champion and is aiming for their second World Cup title after the success of 2010.
This is also the first time in history that the reigning Copa America champion has faced the reigning EURO champion in the World Cup final. Besides, Argentina (1st place) and Spain (2nd place) are also the top two teams in the FIFA rankings, creating a rare peak confrontation.
This will be Argentina's seventh World Cup final, only behind Germany's record of eight appearances. Albiceleste has won three times in 1978, 1986 and 2022, and also won the runner-up title three times.
Meanwhile, Spain has only participated in the final match of the World Cup for the second time. After winning the championship in 2010, La Roja is facing the opportunity to reach the world peak for the second time. Considering major tournaments, they have also won 5 out of 6 finals they have participated in, including 4 EURO championships.
Spain is still considered by many experts and Opta supercomputers as a brighter candidate for the championship thanks to their superior game control and defense. Luis de la Fuente's team only let their opponents create an average of 0.31 expected goals (xG) per match - the lowest in the tournament and the best achievement of a team at the World Cup since 1966.
La Roja also kept a clean sheet in 6 matches, an unprecedented achievement in World Cup history. The 37-match unbeaten streak in all competitions since March 2024 also shows the incredible stability of this team.
Meanwhile, Argentina also has an impressive winning streak. They have won 14 consecutive matches at the World Cup and are only one victory away from the longest record of a South American team.
Head-to-head record
The 2026 World Cup final will be the second time in history that Spain and Argentina have faced each other at the biggest football festival on the planet. The previous meeting took place in the group stage of the 1966 World Cup, when Argentina won 2-1.
However, the head-to-head balance in the 21st century leans towards Spain. La Roja has won three out of four encounters with Argentina since 2000, losing only one match with a score of 1-4 in a friendly match in 2010.
The most recent encounter between the two teams took place in March 2018, when Spain destroyed Argentina with a score of 6-1 in a friendly match. That is still one of the five rare times Albiceleste has conceded up to 6 goals in a match throughout history.
Score prediction: Spain 1-0 Argentina
The match between Spain and Argentina takes place at 2:00 AM on July 20 (Vietnam time).
