Today in East Rutherford, USA, the main trophy of the 2026 World Cup will be contested. The national teams of Spain and Argentina will fight for the title of the world's strongest team. Artem Kravets, former footballer of Kyiv's 'Dynamo' and the Ukrainian national team, shared his expert opinion on the upcoming grand confrontation.

Personal Choice and Tactical Forecast

In an exclusive comment for Sport RBC.UA, the 37-year-old specialist admitted that he does not have inflated expectations for the final match. Nevertheless, he clearly defined his sympathies: Artem will cheer for Argentina, as he likes this team more.

However, Kravets did not rule out the opponents. He outlined a critically important condition under which the Spaniards could take the World Cup home. According to the expert, if Luis de la Fuente's team manages to score first, they will most likely win the game.

"I have no expectations. I will cheer for Argentina, simply because I like this team more than Spain. If Spain scores first, they will win this game," the footballer summarized.

Argentina's Path to the Final

The path of Lionel Scaloni's charges to the decisive match was thorny but successful. In the group stage (Group J), the Argentines faced Austria, Algeria, and Jordan. The team collected a full harvest of points, winning three matches and earning 9 points, which secured them first place and a spot in the knockout stage.

In the knockout stage, the "white and blues" demonstrated character, winning tense matches:

  • Round of 32: victory over Cape Verde with a score of 3:2;
  • Round of 16: victory over Egypt with a score of 3:2;
  • Quarterfinal: victory over Switzerland with a score of 3:1;
  • Semifinal: victory over England with a score of 2:1.

Spain's Triumphant March

The Spanish national team, led by Luis de la Fuente, also went through a difficult path. In the group, the team drew with Cape Verde (0:0), but convincingly defeated Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, advancing to the knockout stage.

In the knockout tournament, "La Furia Roja" showed high scoring ability and defensive reliability:

  • Round of 32: crushing defeat of Austria with a score of 3:0;
  • Round of 16: minimal victory over Portugal (1:0);
  • Quarterfinal: victory over Belgium with a score of 2:1;
  • Semifinal: convincing victory over France with a score of 2:0.

Today's final will be the culmination of the tournament, where two powerful European and South American forces will meet, each having proven their right to victory during the championship.