Spain vs Argentina Predicted Lineups & Team News

Spain will take on reigning champions Argentina in football’s ultimate showpiece; the 2026 FIFA World Cup final (8pm BST, 3pm local, BBC One & ITV 1). La Roja will enter the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey off the back of bumping off tournament favourites France. Argentina made sure England’s bi-annual self-fulfilling prophecy came to pass.

But who will line up among the 22 immortals starting the game of games? Read on for the Spain vs Argentina team news and predicted lineups.

Spain

Pedro Porro was withdrawn with a suspected muscle issue after fortifying his side’s lead with the second goal against France. But the Spurs defender is expected to be fit enough for the final he helped deliver for his country.

Elsewhere, apart from a clickbait-driven hubbub about Lamine Yamal and a bandaged leg, it looks like La Roja head into this crucial World Cup final with a full complement.

Remember you can bet on this match and check out all of the live Spain vs Argentina Odds over on betfred.com

Argentina

The win over England was a blood-and-thunder affair to say the least, with tensions boiling over into physical exchanges even after the final whistle. But Lionel Scaloni’s lairy lads are expected to remain largely unchanged for this game. In temperament or availability.

Given the precarious nature of their near-exit against England, the head coach might shuffle his deck. Especially after France boss Didier Deschamps was taught a harsh lesson about what happens when you don’t adjust to meet the uniquely resolute challenge of this Spain side.

Spain vs Argentina Key Players

Key Player - Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain)

When a team is about organisation as much as invention, it often puts extra pressure on the team's attacking outlets. While Spain are no rough-and-tumble outfit, they rely on less silk and more steel than previous iterations of La Roja.

Which makes the job of five-goal man Mikel Oyarzabal important to Luis de la Fuente’s crew. The late-blooming 29-year-old has had his two best goalscoring seasons in the last two years for Real Sociedad, including his best La Liga goal return last term.

Often, players coming off a hot streak wilt under the World Cup spotlight. But Oyarzabal has flourished, proving reliable from the penalty spot as well as a danger in the box. If the rest of his team get the organisation right, Oyarzabal can be the difference.

Key Player - Lionel Messi (Argentina)

If I’d said before the tournament that I’d be picking Leo Messi for this designation ahead of the final, you would have accused me of leaning on saccharine sentiment. But can any of us, with good conscience, not simply marvel at the man?

I am the sort of contrarian bore who has spent a decade answering the ‘Messi or Ronaldo?’ question with ‘Maradona’, so believe me when I tell you that little Lionel is not even my favourite awe-inspiring Argentinian short-arse. But how, as an Englishman, can I sit here and tell you the 39-year-old is not the most riveting player in the Albiceleste contingent?

Scaloni’s side boasts other immense talents, at both football and fighting, but Messi towers above the rest. Metaphorically. He is a very small man.

But like ‘Mighty Mouse’ Kevin Keegan or Lemon & Lime flavoured Tic-Tacs (other cylindrical breath mints are available), Messi is proof that good things come in small packages. The key player of a generation.