World Cup Final Preview: 8 Major Highlights, Argentina Aims to Break 4 Curses, Spain Targets 38-Game Unbeaten Run

At 3:00 AM Beijing time on July 20, the world's most anticipated World Cup final will be held at the New Jersey Stadium in New York. The reigning champions Argentina will play against European champions Spain for the World Cup trophy.

Will Argentina successfully defend their title to win their fourth championship, equaling Germany and Italy, or will Spain claim the trophy for the second time in 16 years, matching Uruguay and France? The outcome is full of suspense.

[Match Highlights]

1. The Cancelled Euro-America Cup Reenacted

Originally scheduled for March this year, the Euro-America Cup between European champions Spain and Copa America champions Argentina was cancelled due to unrest in the Middle East.

Unexpectedly, four months later, the two teams will replay this postponed clash in the World Cup final, making up for the regret of fans worldwide. This is also a battle for supremacy between South American and European football.

2. Argentina Seeks to Break 4 Major Curses

Since 1962, no team has successfully defended the World Cup title.

Since the FIFA ranking system was introduced in 1992, the team ranked first in the world before the tournament has never won the title.

After Brazil, Italy, and Germany each won their third title, they all had to wait exactly 24 years before claiming their fourth.

Since Brazil in 2002, no team that has won all three group stage matches has gone on to win the championship.

3. First Clash Between Two Barcelona No. 10s

This marks the first direct encounter between two Barcelona No. 10s: the 19-year-old Yamal faces the 39-year-old Messi. Shortly after Yamal was born, his parents were fortunate enough to take him to a Barcelona club event, where the emerging Messi interacted with the young Yamal, holding him and even giving him a bath.

Now, 19 years later, the two will face off directly in the World Cup final.

4. Messi's Last Dance, Aiming for 48th Title

Messi has already stated clearly that this World Cup will be his last. Therefore, this final will be the final match of his World Cup career.

Messi has already won 47 titles, making him the all-time leader in football history. Whether he can complete a four-peat of major international titles is worth watching.

5. Messi Could Set 2 Epic Records

Messi could become the fourth player in World Cup history to win the Golden Boot, Golden Ball, and the World Cup title in a single tournament. He could also become the second Ballon d'Or winner after Ronaldo to win the World Cup twice.

6. Spain Targets 38-Game Unbeaten Record

Spain has currently gone 37 matches unbeaten, tying the record set by Mancini's Italy. If they win the World Cup, Spain will set a new world record for the longest unbeaten streak in men's national team football.

7. The Ultimate "Clash of Styles" in This World Cup

The defending champions have the strongest attack in this World Cup, scoring a total of 19 goals. Spain, on the other hand, has the best defense, conceding only one goal in their last seven matches.

8. Battle for Golden Boot, Golden Ball, and Assist King

Currently, Mbappé leads Messi by 2 goals in the scoring chart, while Olise leads Messi by 3 assists. Messi still has a good chance to overtake them. As for the World Cup Golden Ball award, it is likely that Messi will win it for the third time.

[Head-to-Head Record]

This is the 15th meeting between the two sides. In the previous 14 encounters, they are evenly matched, with 6 wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses each.

The last time they met was eight years ago, in March 2018, when Spain defeated Argentina 6-1 in a friendly. Otamendi, Lo Celso, and Tagliafico all played in that match.

Their last World Cup encounter was in the group stage of 1966, when Argentina beat Spain 2-1.

[Predicted Lineups]

Argentina Starting XI (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Damián Martínez

Defenders: Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Tagliafico

Midfielders: Enzo, Paredes, Mac Allister

Forwards: Messi, Álvarez, Giuliano Simeone

Spain Starting XI (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Unai Simón

Defenders: Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella

Defensive Midfielders: Rodri, Fabián Ruiz

Attacking Midfielders: Yamal, Olmo, Baena

Forward: Oyarzabal

[Probability Predictions]

Opta's supercomputer, after 25,000 simulations, has given the winning probabilities of both teams. Spain has the advantage, with a 29% chance of the match going to extra time.

Spain to win: 59.6%

Argentina to win: 40.4%

Spain to win within 90 minutes: 45%

Argentina to win within 90 minutes: 26%

Match to go to extra time: 29%