16 hours ago
Key events
Jonathan Wilson
In nan 37 minutes betwixt England going up against Argentina and falling behind, they had 12% possession. It’s adjacent to presume that successful nan World Cup last Spain will supply a alternatively different challenge. They do not suffer nan Mafeking inclination of nan English, seeking to re-enact immoderate celebrated siege each clip they return nan lead. The finalists person averaged 64% possession truthful acold successful nan tournament. Spain could hardly beryllium much different to England: their measurement is not of panic but of process.
There is simply a intelligibly defined Spanish style, arsenic location has been since Vicente del Bosque replaced Luis Aragonés as Spain head successful 2008, and arguably before. In that, perhaps, location is dream for England. Spain erstwhile were moreover greater underachievers but Aragonés inspired nan gyration against nan furia roja orthodoxy. The consequence has been 3 Euros and a World Cup successful nan past 2 decades, pinch possibly different to travel connected Sunday.
The patience and accent connected shot retention tin astatine times go predictable – nary strategy aliases style is ever without flaw – but Luis de la Fuente has reinvigorated nan juego de posición model. A position of nan replacement successful Atlanta connected Wednesday, a squad pathologically incapable moreover to effort to clasp possession, is instructive of really valuable tin beryllium nan capacity not to suffer nan ball.
Early squad news/speculation
It’s difficult to spot Spain changing overmuch aft specified a broad semi-final triumph complete France. Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro missed training arsenic a precaution but are expected to beryllium fit.
Argentina were much awesome against England erstwhile Rodrigo De Paul and Nicolas Gonzalez came onto nan field. It won’t beryllium a astonishment if De Paul starts successful spot of Giuliano Simeone.
Sixty years aliases hurt ne'er stopped america dreaming that Spain and Argentina would meet again astatine nan World Cup.
Preamble
The astonishment is that it took truthful long. For nan champions of Europe and South America to meet successful a World Cup final; for Spain and Argentina to meet successful a knockout game; and, if we must, for strategies master Donald Trump to be a lucifer astatine nan 2026 World Cup. All 3 will hap for nan first clip today.
It’s breathtaking capable that this is nan first World Cup last betwixt nan champions of Europe and South America*. The truth Argentina are world champions makes it moreover much mouthwatering, particularly arsenic they look astir arsenic consenting to surrender their title arsenic Tony Montana did his life. They are tantalisingly adjacent to becoming nan first squad to clasp nan men’s World Cup since Brazil successful 1962.
Argentina person a small friend too. This clip 4 years ago, Lionel Messi was 35 years aged and had ne'er scored a extremity successful a World Cup knockout game. If location was an asterisk against his goat-ness, it has agelong gone. Messi’s ice-cold demolition of England connected Wednesday was nan latest successful a bid of mind-blowing World Cup performances.
Messi is up against an aged acquaintance today. We’ve each seen the image of him cradling a six-month-old Lamine Yamal, and it’s benignant of bonkers that they will now meet successful a World Cup final. Yamal hasn’t dominated nan tourney for illustration Messi, successful deed aliases hype, though that’s partially a reflection of nan identities of each team.
Spain, for illustration nan European nine champions Paris Saint-Germain, are a triumph for teamwork successful nan property of nan galactico – a constituent they made rather emphatically against France connected Tuesday. Argentina are a hybrid model: nan different 10 players service an ageless brilliant who has redefined nan conception of stepping football. The occurrence of some models is impervious that there’s much than 1 measurement to style a aureate age.
Few of america saw Spain’s renaissance coming. From 2014 to 2022, they near almost nary trace astatine awesome tournaments. Even astatine Euro 2020, erstwhile they were arguably nan champion squad successful nan competition, they won only 2 of their six games. But Luis de la Fuente has built a joyous squad who are nan antidote to truthful galore of football’s ills.
Their triumph astatine Euro 2024, successful which they hit and outplayed nan holders Italy, nan hosts Germany and nan pre-tournament favourites France and England, has a lawsuit for being nan awesome European Championship triumph of all. They haven’t rather deed those heights successful America – aliases alternatively they hadn’t until they taught France a instruction successful nan semi-final.
Spain person had tougher fixtures en way to nan final; Argentina person had nan person shaves. In different ways, some person earned nan correct to consciousness invincible – and not conscionable during this tournament. Spain are unbeaten successful 37 games; Argentina person won 14 successful a statement and 31 of nan past 37.
Never mind nan despair of losing a World Cup final; nan losers look immoderate hellish cognitive dissonance.
Kick off 3pm EST/8pm BST/5am AEST
* Since you asked, Uruguay, not Brazil, were South American champions successful 1970. Brazil withdrew from nan 1967 South American Championship, but that is virtually different story.
