Аргентин, Испанийн шигшээ багууд Дэлхийн аварга шалгаруулах тэмцээний финалд шалгарлаа

Argentina will play Spain in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, on Sunday after staging a stunning comeback to beat England.

It makes it back-to-back finals for the best player in the sport, Lionel Messi, who won his first in Qatar in 2022, and a first appearance for Spain’s prodigy Lamine Yamal.

The two have never faced each other before on the pitch — though they did meet in this remarkable photo when Yamal was a baby.

Individual awards will also be decided after the final, including the Golden Ball for best player, Golden Glove for best goalkeeper and Golden Boot for top goalscorer. Messi currently heads that one with eight goals (and now four assists, which is used in a tiebreak).

Kylian Mbappe is second on eight goals and three assists, with Erling Haaland, whose Norway side was eliminated, on seven goals and Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who could yet play against Mbappe in the bronze medal game on Saturday, on six.

We asked our writers who will win the final and the main individual awards. This is what they said.

Who will win the World Cup final and why?

Phil Hay: Spain. They’re oozing confidence, almost as if they’ve known (or believed) for a while that they’re going to win the tournament. While everybody was talking about France, Spain were quietly gathering steam and finding a rhythm. They’re strong in each position, they’re in form in each position, Luis de la Fuente has the ideal tactical plan for them and they’ve proven that they can do it in a major final.

Carl Anka: Spain. They took a while to warm up (that 0-0 draw with Cape Verde becomes more fascinating with hindsight), but they’ve hit top stride at the best moment. Rodri looks back at his imperious self. Lamine Yamal isn’t offering the attacking output many predicted before the tournament, but he’s such a potent threat that he cannot be ignored. It’s not quite “Death by 1000” passes from Spain 2010-12, but they use the ball better than anyone else, keeping opponents starved of possession until morale is shattered.

Seb Stafford-Bloor: Spain. Argentina capitalised on England’s early tactical retreat in the semi-final, but also profited from making that game emotional and fraught. Does that work against Spain? We’ve yet to see any evidence that it will.

Dermot Corrigan: After watching how Spain completely outclassed France in the first semi-final, it was impossible to back against them (especially from here in Madrid). Argentina’s latest comeback against England then made me think twice, but Spain also give a real sense of a team on a mission, who are calmly and confidently dealing with every challenge they face.

Henry Bushnell: Spain. We haven’t seen an international football team this in-sync, organised and collectively sharp in a long time. The way they manipulated Tuesday’s semi-final to their liking and read every French attacking intention before it could become dangerous was awe-inspiring. There’s no reason to think Sunday will be any different. I actually think it could be rather one-sided.

Will Spain be lifting another trophy after winning Euro 2024 (Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Lukas Weese: For the sake of being different, I’ll go with Argentina. Yes, Spain just had a performance for the ages, stifling France. Yes, Spain has only conceded one goal at this World Cup, a monumental achievement. But something feels “team of destiny” about Argentina with all their comebacks this tournament as they try to win back-to-back World Cups. Regardless, I hope we get a fantastic final.

Stu James: Spain. I feel like a fraud saying that with total conviction — because I was saying France with total conviction right up until the semi-final. Then again, I did say that the biggest threat to France was France themselves, which tallies with Rayan Cherki’s scathing assessment on the back of the Spain defeat.

Anyway, that was such a complete Spain performance against France; they’re not dependent on individuals. In fact, they’ve gotten this far without their star player, Lamine Yamal, playing at his best. Argentina’s resilience is incredible, and anything is possible with Messi, but I just think that Spain will be too good for them.

Paul Tenorio: Argentina. Yes, Spain look like the best team in this tournament, but there is something about this Argentina team and how much it means to them. The belief in the team, the fight… and then Messi. I’m not picking against them right now. They’re playing for Messi’s legacy; they’ll have the ‘home field’ advantage and the way they won this game over England. It’ll lead to their best performance in the final.

Are these the best two teams in the world?

Phil Hay: There or thereabouts, but I don’t think one bad night for France against Spain changes the fact that they’re as good as anybody (and the best of the best on their day). The meeting between France and Spain felt a little like the final before the final, even though holders Argentina were in semi-final two. But there’s no question that the strongest four countries made the last four, which was what FIFA wanted.

Seb Stafford-Bloor: Probably not. Spain against France ultimately ended up being lopsided, but on the basis of their bodies of work across the tournament as a whole, they are probably one and two. Argentina seem to be operating independently of rankings or perception. England should have beaten them. Egypt might have done so, too. And yet because of this compelling energy they’re playing with, they are perpetually brittle while also, somehow, a match for anyone. I don’t know how to evaluate that properly.

Dermot Corrigan: Results are what count in football, and both teams have come through difficult challenges at different moments and kept it all together to reach the decider. Having said that, some in Spain have drawn a parallel to 2010, when La Roja’s highest-level opponent on the way to winning their first World Cup was Germany, their semi-final opponent, not the Netherlands, their rival in the final. As Phil says, France have such a powerful squad, and will have huge regrets about their performance on Tuesday.

Mbappe and France were eliminated in the semifinals (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP via Getty Images)

Carl Anka: France 2026 will join Argentina 2006, Netherlands 1998 and Brazil 1982 as great World Cup teams who failed to reach the Final. The manner in which Spain dismantled them means they deserve to be finalists. England v Argentina was a rock fight. The strongest survived, as they had done throughout their knockout matches. These are the two teams that take care of the ball the best at the World Cup. That’s why they’re in the final.

Henry Bushnell: No. I still believe France is the No. 2. Spain made the French look ordinary, but even amid the constraints and frustration of Tuesday’s semi-final, you could see flashes of their brilliance. They would have been clear favourites in the final against Argentina. One day of “immense disappointment,” as Cherki said, doesn’t erase everything they did and everything we thought about them prior to Tuesday.

Lukas Weese: The two best teams in the final would’ve been France and Spain. Unfortunately, they met in the semi-final. To Phil’s point, it’s similar to an NCAA Tournament having four No. 1 seeds advance to the Final Four. The top four countries made it, putting a fitting bow on an unforgettable World Cup.

Stu James: Probably not. I think France would have beaten Argentina if the semi-final draw had worked out differently. Yes, France were poor against Spain – totally outplayed — but that doesn’t make me think that they’re a bad team. Leaving all that aside, tournament football isn’t about the best team or best performances; it’s purely about finding a way to win matches. Argentina have done that, largely thanks to the genius that is Lionel Messi. Spain versus Argentina will be a fascinating final.

Paul Tenorio: I thought France was the best team in this tournament until that semi-final, so, no, you can’t say these are the two best teams. But that’s not a knock on Argentina. The strength of the team goes beyond the talent up and down the roster.

Who do you expect to win the Golden Boot for top goalscorer?

Phil Hay: I’ll go for a two-way split between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, which would be a fair reflection of most of the tournament.

Dermot Corrigan: The third-place game seems more likely to be a tactically and emotionally looser game, a ding-dong battle in which Mbappe might get the best chances to add to his current tally against an England team which will surely be demoralised by their semi-final defeat.

Seb Stafford-Bloor: I’ll take Kylian Mbappe, via a flurry of goals against a tired, wounded England in the third-place game.

Carl Anka: I predicted Harry Kane to win the Golden Boot as I thought he could stat pad throughout the groups. What a foolhardy decision that was. Lionel Messi, take it away.

Messi consoles Kane (Odd Andersen / AFP via Getty Images)

Henry Bushnell: Messi. Those two assists in the semi-final have put him narrowly ahead of Mbappe. And although Mbappe could very well go crazy in the third-place game, he could also rest. Messi is surely the best bet at this point.

Lukas Weese: Lionel Messi. It feels inevitable after his two-assist performance, and I think there is more magic left in the final.

Stu James: Tricky, this, because you don’t know what sort of team the managers will pick in the third-place play-off, and for obvious reasons that could have a big bearing. Personally, I think that game should be an opportunity for everyone who hasn’t seen much action so far to get on the pitch, but that might not be the case if there’s a chance for players to win individual awards. That’s a long way of saying I predict Kylian Mbappe will win the Golden Boot.

Paul Tenorio: Messi. He’ll get one in the final to win it.

Who do you expect to win the Golden Ball for best player?

Phil Hay: Lionel Messi. FIFA will find it very difficult to give it to anybody else. He’s been breaking records all over the place.

Seb Stafford-Bloor: I don’t expect FIFA to look beyond the attacking players or their stars; Lionel Messi scored five goals in his first two games and he probably had it won from that moment. I do think his coach is worth some praise. Lionel Scaloni found a way to both protect a player who is physically years beyond his prime while also extracting the maximum influence from him. It’s remarkable.

Dermot Corrigan: Spain winning the final might lead to a poser for FIFA’s jury. Lamine Yamal is their superstar but he’s not done enough through the tournament to merit the award. As a former Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri has the profile, and he’s been excellent in the knockout rounds so far. But, yeah, as the guys say, it all points to Messi whatever happens — and it’s difficult to argue, particularly after another stupendously heroic effort to pull Argentina through in the semis.

Carl Anka: 2018 was the last time the Golden Ball went to a player who failed to win the World Cup. Lionel Messi has had a tremendous tournament, and a (third!!) Golden Ball here would be his “Legacy Oscar” as a thank you for his contributions to football.

Could Yamal yet challenge for the Golden Ball? (Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)

Henry Bushnell: Messi. After Wednesday’s comeback, he could not touch the ball a single time in the final and still win it.

Lukas Weese: It feels like Lionel Messi at this point. It’s been a historic tournament for him, and when we look back at this World Cup, he feels like a main character, which is what this award favours.

Stu James: Lionel Messi. Realistically, it can’t be anybody else. Messi has been the outstanding player of this World Cup, which is astonishing given his age. He’s the joint top-scorer; he’s also got four assists to his name, and his influence on this Argentina team is impossible to overstate.

Paul Tenorio: A 39-year-old Lionel Messi. How can he not win it the way he has played for Argentina and how he’s produced in the biggest moments of games to push this team to another final?

Who do you expect to win the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper?

Phil Hay: Unai Simon. I mean, just look at his numbers. Seven games, one goal conceded. Ridiculous.

Seb Stafford-Bloor: Barring something absurd happening in the final — which it will not — Unai Simon already has this in his hand luggage. Hopefully, he treats the award with more grace than Emi Martinez.

Dermot Corrigan: It’s kinda mad that, for many, Unai Simon is not even the best goalkeeper in the Spain squad, with Barcelona’s Joan Garcia and Arsenal’s David Raya rated above the Athletic Club stalwart. But Simon does bring something special for Spain, even down to an ability to get away with the odd dodgy moment, and he deserves the starting spot and the competition’s prize.

Carl Anka: Barring another blockbuster penalty shootout in the final, this award will go to Unai Simon.

Simon looks a certainty for the Golden Glove (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Henry Bushnell: Simon.

Lukas Weese: It’s got to be Unai Simon. I was so impressed with his performance against France. He wasn’t under siege against Les Bleus but he made timely saves and I admired his anticipation to move out of his net to prevent Kylian Mbappe from a shot on target.

Stu James: Unai Simon, who has only conceded one goal so far, which is a remarkable statistic, albeit one that owes much to how Spain play as a team, not just the goalkeeper’s performance. The curious thing about Simon’s clean sheet against France is that he didn’t have to make a save until the 82nd minute, and even then it was straightforward. It feels like it’s been that sort of tournament for the Spain keeper.

Paul Tenorio: It has to be Simon.

Who do you expect to win best young player?

Phil Hay: I enjoyed the breakthrough of Johan Manzambi for Switzerland and Ayyoub Bouaddi for Morocco, but neither of them did enough to merit this award. It’s going to go to Lamine Yamal, isn’t it?

Seb Stafford-Bloor: Pau Cubarsi has been outrageously good for a 19-year-old at his first World Cup. Spain’s security depends on many different players, but I cannot think of many centre-backs capable of producing his run of performances.

Dermot Corrigan: Lamine must have been odds-on for this award even before the tournament started. Although obviously still not at his sharpest following recent injuries, he’s still been really crucial for Spain through the tournament. He’s also clearly keen to stamp his personality on the competition by doing something special, and what better moment than Sunday’s final.

Carl Anka: Pau Cubarsi is the mythical “recent graduate with five plus years of experience” you see on job applications. Two seasons working within Hansi Flick’s demanding defensive system have shaped him into a remarkable centre-back, one who will rank among the best in the world for the next decade.

Is Cubarsi the best young player at the World Cup? (Stefan Koops/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Henry Bushnell: Cubarsi is the obvious pick, but there’s definitely still room for Lamine Yamal to seize the stage of Sunday’s final. FIFA loves its stars and narratives. If Yamal scores or creates a goal or two against Argentina, he’ll win it.

Lukas Weese: It would be a fitting conclusion for Spain if Lamine Yamal has a memorable moment during the final as he helps La Roja win its second World Cup in the country’s history. For that reason, I’m going with the 19-year-old.

Stu James: The player I expect to win it and the player I think should win it are two different people. For example, I imagine Lamine Yamal will receive the best young player award — he’s a big name, a superstar. But, in truth, his international team-mate Pau Cubarsi has performed better at the World Cup.

Paul Tenorio: I agree with what Henry said above. Cubarsi should win it, but there is room for Yamal to take the award with a strong performance in the final.

Who do you expect to win the goal of the tournament?

Phil Hay: It’ll be disappointing if it doesn’t go to Cape Verde’s Sidny Lopes Cabral against Argentina. A) because it was an epic moment and b) because the finish was pure class.

Seb Stafford-Bloor: Sidny Lopes Cabral will be well represented and would be wholly deserving. I also loved Ismaila Sarr’s fabulous effort against Belgium. But I’m going to take Spain’s second goal in the semi-final, scored by Pedro Porro. Just because of its intricacy and, predominantly, the quality of the round-the-corner assist from Dani Olmo, which would probably be my assist of the tournament and may edge it because of when it was scored, who it was against and what it meant.

Dermot Corrigan: I’ve a feeling Messi might get this one too. His equaliser against Egypt in the last 16 was tremendous, for both the anticipation and intelligence to know where the ball was going to fall, and the calmness and technical brilliance to strike it so perfectly to the net even with all the chaos going on around him.

Carl Anka: I’ve a soft spot for Amad’s equaliser against Norway, and Kylian Mbappe’s finish against Morocco is absurd, but this award will go to Sidny Lopes Cabral extra-time equaliser against Argentina. Factor in the distance, difficulty of the opponent, and the technique required to get a shot on goal? It’s the sort of goal and moment that will vindicate Gianni Infantino’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams.

Lopes Cabral curls in his stunning goal (Ezra Shaw – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Henry Bushnell: The best individual goal, as others have noted, is Sidny Lopes Cabral’s. But when you throw circumstance, impact, narrative and star power into the mix, it has to be Julián Alvarez’s extra-time winner to lift Argentina past Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

Lukas Weese: Cabral’s goal is my favourite of the tournament. But I’ll go with Lionel Messi’s first goal of this World Cup against Algeria. There were questions about Messi’s performance entering this World Cup. He put those to bed when he received a pass from the midfield, before flying forward with the ball, unleashing a scintillating strike from distance that beat Luca Zidane on the far post. The start of a historic World Cup for the 39-year-old.

Stu James: Only one winner in my eyes: Sidny Lopes Cabral. What. A. Strike. A magical goal in the context of the game, too, and it was also totally in keeping with the brilliant Cape Verde story. In fairness, Julian Alvarez’s extra-time goal against Switzerland isn’t far behind.

Paul Tenorio: It’d be a shame if it’s not Cabral’s goal against Argentina. Such an advertisement for a 48-team World Cup and for one of the tournament’s best stories. I also loved Andreas Schjelderup’s goal against England.