Match Preview: Spain vs. Argentina - the final is control against chaos

Spain vs. Argentina Sunday, July 19 | New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford 3:00 p.m. local venue time | 3:00 p.m. ET | 12:00 p.m. PT 12

This is the final the tournament kept threatening to produce: the reigning European champions against the defending world champions, with one side trying to make the game orderly and the other repeatedly proving that order is optional after the 80th minute. 1

Spain arrive after a 2-0 semifinal win over France that turned possession into control. They have conceded once in the tournament, and FIFA's possible XI puts Rodri and Fabian at the center of the problem Argentina must solve. Argentina have scored 19, according to AP, and just came from behind to beat England 2-1: Enzo Fernandez equalized in the 85th minute, then Lautaro Martinez headed the winner in the 92nd. 34

That makes the spotlight matchup less "Messi versus Yamal" than Rodri's calm against Messi's ability to bend a tired game. Spain will want long spells where Yamal, Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal can move Argentina's back line before the final pass. Argentina will want the opposite: crowded midfield, broken rhythm, and one last siege. ESPN's tactical read is blunt: Spain must keep their nerve for all 90 minutes, not just the first 70. 2

There is history, but not much of it: FIFA records only one previous World Cup meeting, Argentina's 2-1 win over Spain in 1966. This one decides the whole thing. 1

Prediction: Spain 2-1 Argentina. Spain's control should be enough, provided they do not mistake control for safety.

"We are truly unique, and that's not arrogance." -- Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni after the semifinal comeback. 4