Can Spain achieve the ultimate prize against Argentina?

All good things come to an end, and for France, that end came on Tuesday in Arlington, TX. Didier Deschamps, after a legendary spell that saw him reach two World Cup Finals (winning in 2018), as well as a European Championship Final, was looking to wrap up his tenure by doing something that only Germany 1982-90 and Brazil 1994-02 have achieved: reaching three World Cup Finals.

It was billed as the final before the final. But ultimately, Spain proved their credentials as one of the best teams in world football, preventing France from reaching a third-straight World Cup Final and proving why they are the kryptonite of Deschamps' side. France would go on to lose 6-4 to England in a heart-stopping third-place match in Miami.

Spain drew first blood as Marc Cucurella swung in a cross to the opposte flank, which his opposing left back Lucas Digne attempted to clear, only to catch Lamine Yamal with his foot and concede a penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal slotted home from the spot, and from that point on, Spain never looked likely to relinquish their advantage. But rather than sit back and defend, Luis de la Fuente's men continued to force the issue, never allowing France to grow in confidence and composure.

Things went from bad to worse for France as William Saliba was withdrawn with a back problem, with Maxence Lacroix taking his place. Spain began to overwhelm France with their suffocating press, forcing them into a number of uncharacteristic errors at the back. And whenever France did find a way into the final third, Spain quickly put out the fire with proactive defending. And one man who proved essential was Pau Cubarsí.

After spearheading Barcelona to a second-straight league title, Cubarsí has formed a rock-solid pairing alongside Aymeric Laporte in central defense. And whilst Spain's world-record streak of 650 minutes without conceding came to an end vs. Belgium, Spain bounced back with yet another clean sheet.

If Spain were the underdogs, they certainly didn't play like it. Luis de la Fuente's side had already eliminated France from two semifinals in Euro 2024 and the 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals, and they were looking to make it three in a row. From the opening whistle, they forced the issue and pushed Les Bleus deeper and deeper into their own half.

"The message was that we were up against one of the best teams ​in the world, but that they were up against the best team in the ⁠world," stated De la Fuente in the post-match press conference. "These players show commitment, solidarity and talent. They make the ​difficult look easy."

"They have talent and the right attitude towards life and sport. I see a happy dressing ​room and a nation behind us. We've recaptured the spirit of 2010. The character of this team is evident in the fact that those who didn't play have stayed behind to train after the match."

It was yet another reminder that La Roja might not have the best individual players, but they do have the best team. It's precisely why millions of people all around the world are rooting for them, having been enchanted with their enthralling style of play in recent years. "To be honest, it fills me with pride that other countries are rooting for Spain," stated Cubarsí after the match.

"It means we’re doing things right—that we have great values ​​and play excellent football. I also think people enjoy watching clean matches; we don’t go in for late, reckless tackles—we know how to win and how to lose, and I believe that’s the most beautiful part of football."

"To be honest, I’d rather be playing on the pitch than talking here—I get a bit more nervous in situations like this. But I always keep my feet on the ground; my family, the team, and my friends are always there to help me." "Honestly, I’m very happy to have people close to me who support me in this regard. We’re all in this together as we head into the World Cup final, and we’re going all out to win.

After sweeping past Senegal, Iraq, Norway, Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco in convincing fashion, it seemed that France were unstoppable. It seemed that Les Bleus' attacking trident of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise was the best to grace the World Cup since Brazil's trio of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and Ronaldo. It seemed that Deschamps would ride off into the sunset with the ultimate prize.

But Spain were never going to go down without a fight. Having kicked off their tournament with a goalless draw vs. Cape Verde, Spain gradually began to find their footing, demolishing Saudi Arabia 4-0 and beating Uruguay 1-0 to seal first place in their group. And after thrashing Austria 3-0 to secure their first World Cup knockout run since the 2010 final, La Roja narrowly eked out victories vs. Portugal and Belgium via late goals from Mikel Merino.

Les Bleus have dominated against just about every team in world football, but against Spain, they have been passengers. After losing 2-1 in the 2024 Euro semifinal and 5-4 in the 2025 UEFA Nations League Final, France have come undone once again by their Western European rivals.

"I believe we’re doing an amazing job, and it’s a collective effort involving everyone, from the starters to the players on the bench because the high level they show in training ultimately helps you become a better footballer," added Cubarsí. "We're all in this together as we head to the World Cup Final, and we're going all out to win."

Now, the attention turns to the 104th and final match of the 2026 World Cup, as Spain attempt to eke out a victory against Argentina in New Jersey. Spain are looking to make it back-to-back trophies after the Euro triumph, but as for Argentina, they are seeking to become the first-ever national team to win four trophies in a row. It will be the last World Cup and perhaps the last international tournament for Lionel Messi, who is seeking to ride off into the sunset with his second World Cup.

It will be the unstoppable force against the immovable object, as a resolute Spain defense takes on an Argentina side that has not been held to under two goals in a World Cup since the opening match of the 2022 edition. After breezing past Algeria, Austria and Jordan in the group stage, Argentina have been made to sweat in each of their knockout matches.

They just about edged Cape Verde to an extra time win in Miami before coming back from two goals down and prevailing 3-2 against Egypt. And when it seemed that 10-man Switzerland were set to force penalties, they narrowly won in Kansas City 3-1 via late goals from Julian Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez. They found themselves as the second-best side for most of the match vs. England, but they turned it on when it mattered and were able to come away with a 2-1 win in Atlanta.

Whilst Spain have been able to dominate with their well-worked passing combinations and high pressing, Argentina have shown an uncanny ability to grind out results and suffer through spells of being dominated. "The truth is, I think it's a combination of several things," stated Argentina midfielder Giuliano Simeone to Breaking The Lines. "But the main thing is that the group is always above everything else, that's the message that's handed down to us. Honestly, we're very happy, because the group always gives you confidence in training sessions, games, chats, and honestly, it makes us very content."

Will Argentina suffer through yet another final and achieve their fourth star, or will Spain prevail with their second star at MetLife? Stay tuned for a scintillating Sunday showdown in East Rutherford.