As the World Cup tournament draws to a close, Argentina and Spain prepare to face off in the final. Argentina, aiming to defend their 2022 title, features talisman Lionel Messi in his sixth World Cup appearance. Spain, seeking their second title after a 2010 victory, enters the final after a strong performance against France in the semi-finals.
Argentina's Tournament Performance
Argentina has won the World Cup three times previously: in 1978, 1986, and 2022. Goalkeeper Emi Martinez has played every minute of the tournament, accumulating 798 minutes as two of Argentina's matches went into extra time. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has played nearly as much, with 728 minutes, only surpassed by Messi's 712 minutes. Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has played every minute of the tournament so far.
Outfield stars include Mac Allister, who has played every minute of every game except for one group-stage match where he was a substitute. Notably, midfielder Valentin Barco has only seen 19 minutes of play, while striker Jose Manuel Lopez has 18 minutes across two matches. Lopez recorded one assist and a yellow card in his 10 minutes on the pitch during the quarter-final against Switzerland.
Lionel Messi leads Argentina in scoring with eight goals, placing him at the top of the Golden Boot race and surpassing his previous World Cup record of seven goals from the 2022 tournament. Messi also leads the team in shots per match with 4.9 and has contributed four assists. His performance has earned him the highest player rating of 9.03 via Sofascore.
Spain's Tournament Performance
Spain's squad has accumulated 717 minutes across all their matches. Defenders Pau Cubarsi and Marc Cucurella, along with goalkeeper Unai Simon, have played every minute. Conversely, Eric Garcia, Alex Grimaldo, Victor Munoz, and Martin Zubimendi have not yet featured in the tournament.
Mikel Oyarzabal is Spain's leading scorer with five goals. Young midfielder Lamine Yamal, at 19 years old, averages 3.3 shots per match, though he has scored only once. Marc Cucurella leads the team in assists with two, both coming in the Round of 32 match against Austria.
Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, tops Spain's squad with a Sofascore rating of 7.67. He has also covered the furthest distance in the tournament, totaling 52.07 miles.
Head-to-Head Statistics
Argentina has scored a total of 19 goals throughout the tournament, the highest of any team, with Messi contributing eight of those. Spain has scored 13 goals. In terms of defense, Argentina has conceded seven goals, while Spain has a significantly stronger record, having allowed only one goal, which came against Belgium in the quarter-finals. Spain's defense has resulted in six clean sheets.
Possession statistics are close, with Argentina holding 60.9% and Spain slightly higher at 63.7%. Both teams have avoided conceding from penalties. Argentina has received nine yellow cards and averaged 12.6 fouls per match, while Spain has six yellow cards and averages 11.4 fouls per match. Neither team has had a player sent off with a red card.
Argentina secured nine points in the group stage by winning all their matches, while Spain earned seven points, including a draw against Cape Verde. Spain has conceded just one goal throughout the whole tournament, with goalkeeper Unai Simon and the rest of the team pulling off a stellar defensive effort. Lamine Yamal leads with most shots per game for Spain with 3.3 per match, although he's only managed to find the net once this tournament.