Without a doubt the most popular sport in the world is soccer and this summer has been one filled with people of all nations flocking to North America to witness their countries play across the three nations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
New Jersey has been lucky enough to host seven matches thus far with the final on Sunday yet to come. The two teams that will be playing in it could not have had more contrasting stories culminating in their arrival for the final match on July 19. The game will see Argentina, current champions of South America via the 2025 Copa America, play in their second consecutive world cup final alongside Spain, current European Champions via the 2024 Euros, who have not reached this stage since 2010.
The venue the match will be held at is MetLife stadium (referred to as New York New Jersey Stadium by FIFA) could not be a better representation of the grandiose nature of the game itself. It is the largest stadium designed specifically for professional sports in the United States and will hold what could potentially be the most viewed sporting event in history on Sunday. This match will see Argentina claim its fourth World Cup Final victory or Spain win its second in their history.
Argentina has always been a powerhouse in international soccer holding the current record of 23 trophies, with three of those being World Cups. En route to the final, 39-year-old, and debatably greatest soccer player of all-time, Lionel Messi, has played an ever present role in Argentina’s progression by accumulating eight goals and four assists.
Although these statistics would typically be an indication of dominant performances, it has been anything but comfortable wins for the Albiceleste. Three matches of the four they played in the knockout stages have been decided by one goal and additionally three of them also had to go into extra time, contributing to an additional 90 minutes of game time they have had to play compared to Spain. Argentina have won most of their games late with no better example than a decisive 111th minute goal being required for them to scrape by World Cup debutantes and 67th ranked Cabo Verde. Though their performances have not been the most convincing, there is no denying the inevitability and work ethic of this national team.
In contrast to Argentina’s path to the final, Spain have looked quite comfortable in most of their matches, even in their opening draw to the aforementioned Cabo Verde. Spain’s identity has always been controlling the game through possession with an average of 64% possession and 796 passes completed per game throughout the tournament.
Spain’s most talented player is 19-year-old phenomenon Lamine Yamal, who by his own standards is not having the greatest stretch of games, and whose only statistical contribution to his team has been one goal against Saudi Arabia through the seven matches he played in. This lack of output can be chalked up to him coming into the Summer with injury concerns he carried with him following the conclusion of his domestic campaign in Spain. Spain may not be playing high-octane soccer, but their wins against some of soccer’s most historic nations such as Uruguay, Portugal, Belgium, and favorites France sets up a final with Argentina that would be one of the most historic World Cup championship runs in history.
Spain and Argentina could not have reached this stage under more opposing circumstances, that is what makes soccer so special. You will not always get the “most talented”, or “most deserving” team lifting the trophy at the end of the contest, but what we can say is that we have witnessed one of the most intriguing iterations of the World Cup to date with countless nations overperforming their expectations and a generational golden boot race that included the likes of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi. Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi are at polar opposite stages of their respective soccer journeys and are proving that the euphemism “age is just a number” is as relevant as ever.
The outcome of Sunday’s game will forever be etched in soccer lore and the world will forever be familiar with East Rutherford, New Jersey.
