Spain vs Argentina, a fitting end to a fantastic World Cup 2026.
It is a clash between the reigning European champions and the current holders of the World Cup and Copa America trophies.
Furthermore, it is the first-ever meeting between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, the king of modern football vs the heir apparent.
The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosts the biggest match in all of sport, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm. We cannot wait for the action to get started!
Check out our full Spain vs Argentina preview below, in which you will find some sports betting picks based on NetBet Sport’s latest World Cup odds.
Spain vs Argentina Preview
Luis de la Fuente’s well-oiled Spain machine extended their unbeaten run to 37 games with a comfortable 2-0 semi-final victory over France in Dallas.
Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro secured the win, sending La Roja to a first World Cup final since 2010 – when they lifted the trophy for the first and only time.
Amazingly, Spain have conceded just one goal all tournament, which was Belgium’s equaliser in the 2-1 quarter-final victory.
La Roja have not even needed some masterclasses from Yamal to drag them over the line, though the Barcelona starlet seems to be improving with every appearance – which is bad news for Argentina.
However, the South Americans just do not seem to wilt in the face of adversity, further evidenced by their comeback vs England in the semi-finals.
Lionel Scaloni’s serial winners fell 1-0 behind to a second-half Anthony Gordon goal and the writing looked firmly on the wall.
But Messi and his men responded in a superb manner, aided by some questionable tactics from Thomas Tuchel.
Enzo Fernandez equalised with a brilliant 85th-minute strike, before Lautaro Martinez powered home a fabulous Messi cross in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 triumph.
It was the second impressive comeback from Argentina in the knockout stage after falling 2-0 behind to Egypt in the Round of 16, with La Albiceleste eventually going on to win 3-2.
No one can question the team’s unwavering determination and passion, and with Messi in such sparkling form, stopping them looks mighty tough – even for a seemingly unbeatable Spain outfit!
Spain vs Argentina Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Spain are the slight pre-match favourites here, priced at 2.25 to claim the win. A victory for Argentina is at odds of 3.53, while the draw after 90 minutes is 2.88.
Spain vs Argentina Betting Tips
Anytime goalscorer – Mikel Oyarzabal @ 2.50
Oyarzabal is Spain’s top scorer at World Cup 2026 with five goals. The Real Sociedad ace has come alive in the knockout stage, with his well-taken penalty vs France backed up by a brace in the 3-0 Round of 32 victory over Austria. Can he deliver in the biggest game of all? We reckon so.
To assist a goal – Lionel Messi @ 4.33
At the start of the tournament, it was all about Messi’s goals. The little genius netted six times in the group stage, before striking against both Cape Verde and Egypt in the early knockout rounds. Messi failed to score vs Switzerland and England, but still played a crucial role with three assists across the two games. Creativity appears to be the new order of the day for arguably the greatest player to grace the sport, and backing him to continue in the same vein on Sunday is priced very healthily.
First half result – Draw @ 1.89
When two fantastic teams meet in such a big game, there is the potential for them to cancel each other out in the opening 45 minutes of play. Each side loves to keep possession, and will be wary of the threats posed in attack. As such, we are backing the scores to be level at half-time, and under 0.5 goals in the first half is priced even higher at 2.28.
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