Argentina must have nine lives, right? Somehow, Argentina has found a way to survive at the last minute in just about every one of its 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. Yes, this style of play has had everyone on the edge of their seats. But how long can this style of play really last? So far, the drama has played superbly on TV (much to FOX and Telemundo’s delight). But do the defending World Cup champions have one more in them to repeat yet again?
While Argentina, the Group J winner, has yet again reached the final, the road to Sunday’s finale at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, hasn’t been an easy one. Time and again, Argentina has been on the brink of elimination. Who will ever forget little-known Cape Verde nearly knocking off the defending champs when Argentina needed extra time in the Round of 32 before finally coming away with a 3-2 win.
The following round against Egypt in the Round of 16 welcomed ridicule against FIFA’s officiating and conspiracy theories that the international football federation desperately wanted La Albiceleste to move on. The officiating was so suspicious that non-Argentina soccer fans started referring to Argentina simply as VARgentina, after VAR rulings lifted Argentina to a 3-2 win.
It seemed like Argentina’s luck had finally run out in the quarterfinals against Switzerland, which came so, so close to forcing penalty kicks before Argentina bailed itself out in extra time — but only after Breel Embolo was given a red card. Pundits outside Argentina railed against the team because it barely survived against teams outside the top 15 world rankings. Those same pundits deduced that Argentina had finally met its match in the semifinal against an England team ranked fourth in the world.
England held a 1-0 lead and were merely minutes away from going to the final. But the Three Lions played it safe. Way too safe, some would argue, allowing Argentina to score two late goals to survive and advance.
Spain, the European champions and Group H winner, turned heads for all the wrong reasons with a shocking scoreless draw against, yes, Cape Verde, the tournament’s darling. But since that shocking result, La Roja has quietly taken care of business, dispatching Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinal at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles before dominating France 2-0 in the semifinal in Dallas.
Keep an eye on …
Lionel Messi, obviously. He’s tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race with eight goals. He’s eyeing his second World Cup title after Argentina won it in Qatar in 2022.
Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez each scored against England in the 85th minute and in stoppage time to lift Argentina into the final, so they know a thing or two about performing under pressure.
While Lamine Yamal gets all the attention (and rightfully so), soccer fans should not forget about Mikel Oyarzabal, who has scored five goals for Spain in this tournament.
The last time these two teams met was in 2018. Spain beat Argentina, 6-1, in the international friendly. The stakes are much higher this time around, obviously.
Prediction: Spain 3, Argentina 1. At some point, Argentina’s luck will run out. And that’ll be on Sunday.
