Spain and Argentina, the top two teams in the Fifa rankings, are set to face each other in the World Cup final on Sunday. This article examines various factors that might influence the outcome of the match.
Slavko Vincic will become the first Slovenian to officiate a World Cup final. He previously took charge of the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley, where Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0, and Spain’s 2-1 victory over France in the Euro 2024 semi-final. The 46-year-old’s first World Cup match was Argentina’s opening defeat to Saudi Arabia in 2022. During this tournament, Vincic issued a red card to Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié in the 95th minute against Mexico for covering his mouth. His average disciplinary record stands at 2.33 yellow cards per game.
Slavko Vincic speaks with Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié during their match against Mexico.
Thirteen of the last 14 men’s and women’s World Cup and European Championship finals have been won by the team that played their semi-final match first. The only exception occurred when both semi-finals were held on the same day. Spain’s men initiated this trend with their 4-0 victory over Italy in the Euro 2012 final. Argentina also experienced this advantage, having four days of rest before the 2022 final compared to France’s three. This time, Spain has the benefit of an extra day of rest.
No Argentinian president has attended a national team World Cup match for 36 years, and the current president, Javier Milei, will maintain this tradition. He has watched all seven games from his presidential residence, stating to a Buenos Aires radio station that he has “no way” of travelling to New Jersey. This superstition dates back to 1990 when Carlos Menem visited the Argentina squad before their unexpected opening loss to Cameroon. Since then, the president’s presence at a World Cup match has been considered a potential jinx for the team. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, and King Felipe VI are both expected to attend the match.
An Argentinian victory would make them the third nation to achieve consecutive World Cup titles and the first to do so this century. Italy accomplished this feat in 1934 and 1938, followed by Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Should Spain emerge victorious, they would become the fourth men’s team to simultaneously hold the European Championship and World Cup titles, following West Germany (1972, 1974), France (1998, 2000), and Spain itself, who were the first men’s team in history to win three major tournaments consecutively (Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012).
Argentina has scored the most goals in the tournament with 19, significantly more than any other team, while Spain is in fourth place with 14. Conversely, Spain has the tightest defence, having conceded only one goal, whereas Argentina has let in seven.
In addition to the usual World Cup festivities, the winning team will be presented with rings. This tradition has been common in the United States since the 1922 World Series. A significant commercial aspect is involved, with 30 rings designated for the world champions and an additional 1,996 rings available for public purchase. The design features a miniature World Cup trophy on one side, while the other side will “reflect the identity of the winning team,” as detailed on Fifa’s website. Players and coaches of the victorious team will receive temporary rings, allowing for the customisation and later presentation of bespoke rings.
The two teams were originally scheduled to compete in the Finalissima in Qatar this year, with Argentina aiming to defend the trophy they secured against Italy in 2022. However, the match was cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East. Uefa announced, “After much discussion between Uefa and the organising authorities in Qatar, we can announce that due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima cannot be played as hoped in Qatar on 27 March.” An alternative venue could not be agreed upon by the two teams, leading to the match’s cancellation.
The final will feature two managers who lack experience managing at the top division of club football. Luis de la Fuente, who was dismissed after 11 games at third-division side Alavés, has been coaching Spain’s various youth teams since 2013. Lionel Scaloni has primarily managed the Argentinian national team, with the exception of six matches in charge of the Under-20s. Having already secured the Euros, Copa América, and World Cup between them, the pair have demonstrated that extensive club coaching experience is not a prerequisite for international management success.
Beyond the additional rest day, Spain may also be fresher due to completing all their matches within the regulation 90 minutes. Argentina has played extra time on two occasions, accumulating 794 minutes of play compared to Spain’s 717 minutes. The South American team faced a similar situation in Qatar, where they played an additional 30 minutes in the quarter-final. The question remains whether a squad, on average four years older, will have sufficient energy reserves.
While extreme temperatures are not anticipated, the National Weather Service issued an air-quality alert due to wildfire smoke drifting from Canada. The New York Office of Emergency Management reported that air quality levels in the city had reached “very unhealthy” levels on Thursday, though conditions have since improved considerably. Spain has experienced relatively little exposure to such environmental factors throughout their campaign, having played only one of their seven matches in a fully outdoor stadium. Argentina, in contrast, has played outdoors three times, including two instances where temperatures reached 32°C.
The two nations have met once previously in the World Cup tournament, with Argentina securing a 2-1 victory in 1966. Luis Artime scored both goals for the South American side.
