The first ever World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, and it’s going to be memorable. On one side, the three-time world champions will be aiming to become just the third nation in history to win back-to-back World Cups, following Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962). Lionel Messi also has the opportunity to win a second World Cup title, further cementing his legacy by matching the achievement of soccer legends, while on the other side, Lamine Yamal has the opportunity to win his first World Cup after winning the UEFA Euros in 2024 and can bring the second star to Spain after their only World Cup win in 2010.
How Lionel Messi’s iconic photo with baby Lamine Yamal came to be as Argentina, Spain prep for World Cup final
Francesco Porzio
However, it’s not just about them; it’s also about two teams that are considered among the best in the world that will have the chance to make history on Sunday. Let’s take a closer look at the two teams and compare them:
Goalkeepers
The Spanish national team have one of the best sets of players in the tournament, with Premier League winner David Raya and Joan Garcia from Barcelona benched, as the starter is Unai Simon from Athletic Club. Simon has been consistently one of the best goalkeepers of the tournament so far and has only conceded one goal against Belgium in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. On the other hand, Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez is a legendary player for Argentina as he made one of the most important saves in the history of the World Cup in the 2022 final against France on Randal Kolo Muani, a few moments before the final whistle, giving the chance to the Albiceleste to win the tournament at the penalties. Overall, Spain have the stronger goalkeeping depth compared to Argentina. However, Martinez, who won the Golden Glove in 2022, has repeatedly proven that he can be the difference-maker on the biggest stage, making him a goalkeeper no team should underestimate in a World Cup final.
Spain: Unai Simon (Athletic Club), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan Garcia (Barcelona).
Argentina: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille),
Edge: Spain
Defense
It’s impossible not to mention the Spanish defense as the best of the tournament so far, giving the fact they only conceded one goal in seven matches against Belgium, while Argentina conceded in all the games except for the opening two matches against Algeria and Austria. Beyond the quality of their individual defenders, Spain have a well-organized defensive system that functions exceptionally as a unit. Players like Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, and Pedro Porro have all been outstanding so far, combining solid defending with composure on the ball and making Spain one of the toughest teams to break down. On the other side, the Argentina defensive line is similar to the one that won the World Cup in 2022, but they are also conceding much more compared to the team managed by Luis de la Fuente, as they have conceded seven goals so far.
Spain: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur).
Argentina: Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Otamendi (River Plate), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid)
Edge: Spain
Midfield
Things become more challenging now with the midfielders but Spain also have one of the strongest rosters in the world, with quality players like Pedri, Gavi, Alex Merino and the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri in the midfield. Fabian Ruiz has emerged as one of Spain’s key players during the tournament and is expected to start in Sunday’s final. Alongside Rodri and Pedri, he provides creativity, composure, and control in midfield. On the other hand, Argentina rely on the athleticism, intensity, and physicality of players like Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, and Enzo Fernandez to disrupt the opposition and win battles in the middle of the pitch. Alexis Mac Allister has also been one of Argentina’s best midfielders, contributing both defensively and in possession.
Spain: Pedri (Barcelona), Fabian Ruiz (PSG), Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal), Gavi (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Alex Baena (Atletico Madrid), Mikel Merino (Arsenal)
Argentina: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Giovani lo Celso (Real Betis), Ezequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)
Edge: Spain
Forwards
If Spain looked stronger in both defense and midfield, things are much closer when it comes to the attack. Spain can rely on Mikel Oyarzabal, who has already scored five goals in the tournament. Meanwhile, Nico Williams has mostly been used as a substitute, as he is still working his way back to full fitness after suffering an injury with his club at the end of last season. Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo have also impressed, providing valuable contributions in attack. As for Yamal, despite the immense media attention and high expectations surrounding him, he has yet to reach his best level. The Barcelona youngster is still recovering from an injury he sustained at the end of the club season, which even forced him to come off the bench in the opening match against Cabo Verde, a game that Spain drew.
Argentina, on the other hand, have to give most of the credit to the attacking players and in particular to Messi, who at 39 years old has scored eight goals in seven matches at the 2026 World Cup and he’s likely to win the Golden Boot of the tournament. Both Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martinez have scored crucial goals throughout the tournament, proving to be decisive for Argentina in key moments. Lautaro, in particular, delivered one of the most important goals of his career, scoring a dramatic late winner against England in the semifinal to send Albiceleste to the World Cup final.
Spain: Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Borja Iglesias (Celta de Vigo), Víctor Muñoz (Osasuna), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Argentina: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
Edge: Argentina
