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Argentina and Spain will face off for the 2026 World Cup title at 3 p.m. ET on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the paths they took to get there couldn’t have been more different.
USA TODAY analyzed both teams’ knockout matches in the 2026 tournament and how the scoring margins looked quite different for both. Keep reading to learn more and see Argentina and Spain’s knockout stage paths visualized.
In the group stage, Argentina was dominant and finished atop Group J with a 3-0 record. Spain, meanwhile, looked shaky early on, as they started off with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde before finishing out the group stage with two wins.
The knockout rounds are where things shifted.
In the knockouts, Argentina has spent 98 minutes trailing. Spain has yet to trail all tournament and has led by two or more goals for 66 minutes of the knockout stage.
Argentina needed extra time to beat the same Cape Verde side that drew Spain, then a pair of goals conjured up by Lionel Messi to rally past Egypt.
In the quarterfinals, extra time was needed for a second time, even despite being a man up for the final 18 minutes of regulation against Switzerland. Then Messi once again helped produce a pair of goals to rally by England in the semifinals.
In total, Argentina has scored 10 of its 19 goals this World Cup in the 80th minute or later, a record for a single World Cup, and seven in the 90th minute or later, also a record.
Spain’s knockout route was markedly different.
Spain breezed by Austria, then needed late goals by Mikel Merino to slip by both Portugal and Belgium.
The dominant form returned against France, however, as Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro contributed to a 2-0 win over Kylian Mbappe and company.
But now, all things are even as the two sides meet in New Jersey. Will Argentina require late Messi magic once again? Or will Spain ride off into the sunset with an easy win?
We’ll find out on July 19.
Methodology note: Score margins calculated based on goal times via FIFA.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Argentina and Spain took opposite World Cup paths to the final
Continue reading...
USA TODAY analyzed both teams’ knockout matches in the 2026 tournament and how the scoring margins looked quite different for both. Keep reading to learn more and see Argentina and Spain’s knockout stage paths visualized.
In the group stage, Argentina was dominant and finished atop Group J with a 3-0 record. Spain, meanwhile, looked shaky early on, as they started off with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde before finishing out the group stage with two wins.
The knockout rounds are where things shifted.
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In the knockouts, Argentina has spent 98 minutes trailing. Spain has yet to trail all tournament and has led by two or more goals for 66 minutes of the knockout stage.
Argentina needed extra time to beat the same Cape Verde side that drew Spain, then a pair of goals conjured up by Lionel Messi to rally past Egypt.
In the quarterfinals, extra time was needed for a second time, even despite being a man up for the final 18 minutes of regulation against Switzerland. Then Messi once again helped produce a pair of goals to rally by England in the semifinals.
In total, Argentina has scored 10 of its 19 goals this World Cup in the 80th minute or later, a record for a single World Cup, and seven in the 90th minute or later, also a record.
Spain’s knockout route was markedly different.
Spain breezed by Austria, then needed late goals by Mikel Merino to slip by both Portugal and Belgium.
The dominant form returned against France, however, as Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro contributed to a 2-0 win over Kylian Mbappe and company.
But now, all things are even as the two sides meet in New Jersey. Will Argentina require late Messi magic once again? Or will Spain ride off into the sunset with an easy win?
We’ll find out on July 19.
Methodology note: Score margins calculated based on goal times via FIFA.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Argentina and Spain took opposite World Cup paths to the final
Continue reading...
