Spain vs Argentina Preview & Tips - Spain backed for World Cup glory

Argentina showed their fighting spirit in the World Cup semi-finals as they came from a goal down to stun England in a 2-1 win. 

Spain have won four of the seven matches the pair have played, with Argentina winning the other three. 

Spain have been quietly building at the 2026 World Cup, with the nation going from drawing 0-0 with Cape Verde in their opener to knocking out the favourites for the trophy in the semi-final. 

Their 2-0 win over France was one built on their entire team doing their jobs perfectly. Their defence and midfield managed to nullify France's dangerous attacking line when they were without the ball, while their use of possession was outstanding as they rarely gave France a sniff of a chance. 

Spain's possession-based football is a problem for the opposition, with the European side happy to prod and probe with the ball as they look for any weakness. Argentina will come into this one looking to ruffle some feathers, but Spain have been so good that it seems incredibly hard to knock them out of their stride. 

While a major final does see teams struggle to emulate their previous performances, I do not see this being a problem for Spain. Against England in the Euro 2024 final, they were exceptional. They moved the ball with pace and intent, while they were able to keep England under pressure constantly. While they do not have the same star name like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe or Jude Bellingham performing consistently, Spain are proving that having a team all playing for each other is worth more. 

Argentina needed Lionel Messi to be at his creative best against England as he notched two assists in a stunning comeback win. 

Their 2-1 triumph was born out of Argentina showing their defiant spirit, while they were helped by England reverting to sitting very deep in an attempt to protect their lead. If England had continued to have tried to stretch Argentina's defence, then the result might have been different. 

As it was, Argentina were able to score two unanswered goals to secure their place in the World Cup final via a 2-1 win. Now, the onus is on one more big performance. Victory this week would provide Lionel Messi with a second consecutive World Cup crown and the perfect way to sail off into the sunset. 

However, Argentina have had their defensive issues across the tournament, and if they concede to Spain, they will not likely be provided with the same time and space as England gave them. I predict that the world champions will find the back of the net, but I do not back them to beat a side that has found top gear and will look to pass them off the pitch.