New York New Jersey Stadium is gearing up to host the 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina will look to defend their crown and claim a fourth star, while Spain will chase their second title in history, on North American soil.
It promises to be an attractive matchup between two of the tournament’s best sides, both built around a similar strategy: taking ownership of the ball to control possession, though each arrives at the same result in a different way.
Luis de la Fuente has Rodri running Spain’s midfield alongside Fabian Ruiz, while further up the pitch, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena, and Lamine Yamal lend a hand both in building the attack and in defensive work.
That approach has served Spain well so far, generating total control of matches. With an average of 58% possession (according to FIFA’s official figures), they sit first in the tournament’s possession rankings, tied with Turkey.
Alex Baena #15 of Spain celebrates a goal with teammate Rodri #16. (Getty Images)
That tactical setup also functions as a defensive wall, and paired with a solid back line, it has helped Spain concede just a single goal all tournament, in the 2-1 win over Belgium in the quarterfinals.
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That statistic gives Spain a chance to make history: if they lift the title and keep a clean sheet against Argentina, they would become the first team in World Cup history to win the tournament having conceded just a single goal throughout the entire competition.
Argentina: same strategy, different results
On the other side, they’ll face an Argentina side built on the same idea: controlling the ball and dominating the game through midfield, something they’ve shown throughout the tournament with an average of 55% possession, good for sixth in the tournament’s possession rankings.
In his setup, Lionel Scaloni deploys Leandro Paredes as the central midfielder, surrounded by Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, and Rodrigo De Paul, who link up through the middle but can also drift out wide, giving Argentina another option to keep possession on the flanks.
Leandro Paredes and Enzo Fernandez of Argentina. (Getty Images)
That tactical identity has carried them all the way to the tournament’s biggest match, but with one major difference from Spain. While it’s paid off in attack, with Argentina scoring more goals than any other team in the tournament (19), it’s been a different story defensively, where they’ve conceded seven goals, ranking 17th in goals allowed.
Even so, Argentina have made up for those defensive shortcomings through their attack, though it hasn’t come easy — they’ve had to grind out the wins that got them to New York New Jersey Stadium for Sunday’s final on July 19.
They needed extra time twice — in a 3-2 win over Cape Verde in the Round of 32 and a 3-1 win over Switzerland in the quarterfinals — to advance, while in the 3-2 win over Egypt in the Round of 16 and the 2-1 win over England in the semifinals, they had to produce agonizing late comebacks to get the job done.
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Without a doubt, it will be one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament. Beyond marking the first-ever meeting between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, it will see two teams built on the same footballing philosophy chase the sport’s most important title.
