2026 World Cup Final: SI Experts Predict Spain vs. Argentina Result
Sports Illustrated experts analyze the upcoming 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. The piece contrasts Spain's cohesive, tactical style with Argentina's ability to handle the immense emotional pressure of major tournament finals.
Why it matters
As the World Cup is the most-watched sporting event globally, expert analysis of the final provides context for the culmination of the 2026 tournament.
For years, there used to only be one certainty about the World Cup final: it would be a dour game.
The last time Spain reached the men’s global showpiece in 2010, La Roja battled out a grim 1–0 victory over the Netherlands. “It wasn’t a nice game of pretty football,” the Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel admitted. “But which final is?” He had a point.
Between 1990 and 2014, the seven World Cup finals proved to be invariably drab affairs. In six of those showpieces, only one team scored and four put spectators through the pain of extra time. Even France’s 4–2 win over Croatia in 2018 was a match with a deceptive scoreline: There was never any jeopardy for Les Bleus.
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