Spain reaches World Cup final as Argentina recalls epic comeback

Spain beat France 2-0 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington to reach the World Cup final, with Mikel Oyarzabal converting a penalty and Pedro Porro adding the second goal. The result sent Spain into its second final in 16 years and gave Gabriel Batistuta a clean contrast to draw on when he said, "España llega bien porque le ganó a Francia, pero lo de Argentina es épico."

That split tells the story of two finalists arriving by different routes. Spain came through with control, extending a 37-match unbeaten run and showing the sort of tactical stability that has defined Luis de la Fuente’s side since the start of the tournament. In the stands, Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol, Sergio Ramos and Xavi watched a performance that looked measured rather than frantic, a team doing exactly what a finalist is supposed to do: absorb pressure, manage a knockout game and finish it without late drama.

Argentina’s path was messier and, in Batistuta’s framing, more dramatic. Lionel Scaloni’s side beat England 2-1 in Atlanta after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, then flipped the semifinal through Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez. Lionel Messi supplied two assists, the kind of decisive touches that turn a comeback from a story into a result. If Spain’s semifinal suggested form and structure, Argentina’s showed recovery under pressure, the ability to absorb a punch and answer with precision.

The larger backdrop gives Batistuta’s comparison its force. Argentina and England had met five times before in World Cup play, with the 1986 quarterfinal in Mexico still carrying the most weight because of Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century.” Their most recent World Cup meeting before 2026 came in Sapporo in 2002, when David Beckham scored the penalty that decided a 1-0 England win. That history has made every Argentina-England meeting feel loaded, and it helps explain why Argentina’s path to this final has been read as emotional as well as competitive.

Spain now reaches the final with the cleaner statistical case: unbeaten for 37 matches, 2-0 over France, and back on the biggest stage for the first time since South Africa 2010. Argentina arrives with something less tidy but no less dangerous, a semifinal comeback that underlined resilience and game-changing quality. Against Spain at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, the question is whether épica is only a feeling, or a real edge when margins shrink to one final match.