On the eve of the 2026 World Cup final, where the national teams of Argentina and Spain will meet, the sporting world recalls the history of the rivalry between these giants. The Argentine team is aiming to win their fourth title as the world's strongest team, while the Spanish team currently has only one trophy to their name. There have already been seven decisive encounters between these two national teams in World Cup history.
The Birth of a Legend: Uruguay and the Netherlands
The history of Argentine finals began with the very first World Cup in Uruguay. In the decisive match, the hosts met their neighbors from Argentina. The encounter was high-scoring: the Uruguayans won 4-2. The goalscorers were Dorado, Seá, Iriarte, and Castro, while for the Argentines, it was Piocelle and Stábile.
The "Albiceleste" had to wait almost half a century for the next final. In 1978, Argentina reached the final against the Netherlands. Regular time ended in a draw, but the Argentines proved stronger in extra time. Kempes scored two goals (in the 38th and 105th minutes), and Bertoni added a third in the 115th minute. The Netherlands responded with a goal by Nanninga in the 82nd minute. This success became the first World Cup title in history for Argentina.
The Maradona Era and the German Showdown
In 1986, the Argentines met the West German team in the final. The match turned into a real shootout: the Germans managed to come back from a 0-2 deficit, but in the end, Diego Maradona's team celebrated victory with a score of 3-2. The goals were scored by Brown, Valdano, and Burruchaga, while Rummenigge and Feller scored for the Germans. Although Maradona did not score in the final himself, he was named the best player of the tournament and provided the assist for the decisive goal.
At the very next World Cup, the final was repeated, but this time the Germans celebrated the victory. The Argentines played with ten men, and the only goal of the match was a controversial penalty converted by Andreas Brehme.
Spain's Triumph and Messi's Return
The Spanish national team played their first final in World Cup history in South Africa in 2010. The "La Roja" defeated the Netherlands, and the decisive goal in the 116th minute was scored by Andrés Iniesta. Since then, Spanish fans have been waiting for a second final, and now their dream has come true.
In 2014 in Brazil, Germany and Argentina contested the "gold" — this was the third meeting of these teams in finals. The match was tense, the Argentines dragged it into extra time, but in the 113th minute, Mario Götze brought victory to the Germans. It is worth noting that Lionel Messi was not in his best form at the time due to health issues.
The Historic Final with France
At the last World Cup, the Argentine national team produced an extremely high-scoring final against France. Team captain Lionel Messi scored a brace (goals in the 23rd and 108th minutes), and Di María scored in the 36th minute. Kylian Mbappé responded with a hat-trick (80th, 81st, 118th minutes). The fate of the gold medals was decided by a penalty shootout, where the hero was the Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Argentina became a three-time World Cup champion.
Now the world awaits a new final, where Argentina and Spain will meet again in a decisive match. History shows that these teams are capable of great feats, and the upcoming match promises to be one of the brightest in football history.
