Online Reporter
THE 2026 FIFA World Cup will draw to a close with an epic showdown in the final, as Spain and Argentina battle at the New York New Jersey Stadium tomorrow night.
Kick-off is at 9pm (Zimbabwean time).
Spain put up their best performance of the tournament thus far when they overcame France 2-0 in the first semi-final, held in Dallas on Tuesday.
La Roja won the match thanks to a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a strike by Pedro Porro, but it was their tactical nous, technical excellence and gritty defence that allowed them to fully control the game against a highly-regarded Les Bleus team.
Coach Luis de la Fuente has a few concerns for team selection, mostly centred around star winger Lamine Yamal, who was noticeably limping at the end of the semi-final.
Porro also picked up a knock, but both will likely be available to start tomorrow.
Argentina continued their dramatic tournament on Wednesday in Atlanta, coming from a goal down to defeat hated rivals England 2-1.
La Albiceleste were a goal down 10 minutes into the second-half after Anthony Gordon’s opening strike, but a long-range missile from Enzo Fernandez and an injury-time header from Lautaro Martinez saw them to victory.
Coach Lionel Scaloni has no major injuries or suspension worries heading into the match and is expected to keep faith with the team that overcame the Three Lions.
WHAT THE TEAMS ARE SAYING
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente: “We started almost four years ago with an idea and we’ve been faithful to that idea and it’s brought us here. [In the semi-final] we faced one of the best national teams in the world, but in front of them they had the best team in the world. That is different. These players deserve everything – day after day they’ve shown their commitment, their solidarity, their generosity, their talent. They make the difficult look easy.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni: “I think that this team plays the best when we are facing adversity. We had a challenging game, a challenging situation. There was blood in the water, and we went for it. That’s the feeling that I was getting. You just have to keep going. We hit the crossbar. We hit the post, and it just couldn’t go in. There’s six or seven chances, but I’m very pleased about that because the team fought to the very end, and I think this is critical.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Spain – Rodri
While the likes of Yamal and Oyarzabal have had a lot of the spotlight on them, Rodri has become more and more influential as the tournament has progressed, and he was the conductor for Spain in their victory over France, controlling the midfield with a blend of elegance, intelligence and physicality when required. If he can replicate that kind of performance in the final, then Spain will be well set to become two-time World Cup winners.
Argentina – Lionel Messi
Already a World Cup winner and regarded as one of the all-time greats, Messi will further entrench himself as a football legend if Argentina can win their fourth World Cup title. With 12 goal involvements (8 goals, 4 assists) at this tournament, the 39-year-old has remained fundamental to La Albiceleste’s success.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Spain and Argentina have met in 14 matches, with both La Roja and La Albiceleste claiming six wins, while two games have been drawn. The teams’ last meeting was a friendly in 2018, which Spain won 6-1, while their only previous World Cup clash was in the group stage in 1966, which Argentina won 2-1. – AFP Sport.
