Messi’s Argentina faces Spain in the World Cup final
Sports analyst Dan Dakich previews the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain and highlights the leadership of Lionel Messi. Dakich predicts Argentina will win and praises Messi’s continued greatness. The discussion then turns to WNBA star Caitlin Clark, who NBA commissioner Adam Silver called a “political football” amid controversies over the physical game. Dakich attributes some problems to jealousy and envy of WNBA players.
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And so, it all comes down to Spain and Argentina.
The two soccer powerhouses will look to etch their names in the history books and become World Cup champions when they play at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The game will be broadcast on FOX.
For Argentina, it has a chance to become the first consecutive world champion since Brazil did so in 1958 and 1962, and just the third country to win consecutive titles overall. Italy won two consecutive World Cups for the first time in 1934 and 1938.
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(Left) Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) reacts during the World Cup semi-final soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 15, 2026. (Right) Spain’s Lamine Yamal (19) reacts during the warm-up prior to the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Portugal and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, on July 6, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo; Tony Gutiérrez/AP Photo)
However, for a long time in Argentina’s semi-final match against England, it didn’t look like they had a chance to make history. The Three Lions kept Argentina off the scoreboard for 85 minutes, but Lionel Messi sparked another electrifying comeback.
Anthony Gordon started the scoring when he buried a Morgan Rogers cross to put England first on the scoreboard in the 55th minute with an acrobatic finish. Harry Kane sparked the counterattack with a long pass that left the Argentine defense baffled for the first time in the entire match.
However, that would end up being the only true scoring opportunity of the game for the Three Lions. After England got on the board, Argentina’s pressure was relentless, but England was able to withstand the Argentine attack for about 30 minutes.
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Enzo Fernandez of Argentina celebrates his goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Image Photography Agency/Getty Images)
They finally broke through when Messi set up Enzo Fernandez just outside the penalty area, and the 25-year-old hooked a shot past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and into the back of the net to tie it at 1-1.
Then, Lautaro Martínez played the hero when he came off the bench and entered Argentine soccer history by scoring the winning goal in the stoppage. In the 92nd minute, Messi recorded his second assist after picking up a loose ball and making a beautiful pass into the penalty area, where Martínez was waiting unmarked. Martínez headed the ball past Pickford to send the Argentine fans wild as they completed the comeback.
It was not the first notable comeback in Argentina’s run to the title game. In the round of 16, they scored three goals in 13 minutes to erase a 2-0 second-half deficit against Egypt and keep their World Cup hopes alive.
How to watch France vs Spain: live stream of the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals
For Spain, their run hasn’t been as dramatic, but it’s still been remarkably dominant.
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Mikel Oyarzabal of Spain celebrates after converting a penalty to score his team’s first goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final match between France and Spain at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Lars Baron/Getty Images)
They have shut out their opponents in six of their seven games and have only allowed one goal in the entire tournament. Belgium was the only country that managed to overcome Spain, but the Spanish beat Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals.
Against France in the semi-final, Spain took advantage of an early mistake and never looked back.
Veteran French defender Lucas Digne misread the ball and challenged a cross, but instead kicked Lamine Yamal, committing a foul and giving Spain a penalty kick in the 22nd minute.
Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up for Spain and scored the penalty, giving the Spanish an advantage they would not relinquish.
Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s lead in the 58th minute, when he broke through the French defense and found the back of the net after beating French goalkeeper Mike Maignan with a precise pass from Dani Olmo.
The French tried desperately to get back into the game, but the Spanish defense was too solid to break through and held on to take the victory.
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Pedro Porro of Spain celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final match between France and Spain at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 14, 2026. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
When: Sunday, July 19, 2026
Where: New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch it on FOX One and FOX Sports
