Argentina was on the brink of collapse again—until it wasn’t.
The reigning world champions were trailing England by a goal in the 85th minute of their semifinal on Wednesday. But La Albiceleste netted two goals in the dying minutes and completed another remarkable comeback to reach a second straight World Cup championship match.
Argentina will play Spain, who beat mighty France 2-0 in Tuesday’s first World Cup semifinal. Spain’s 37-game winning streak (28-9-0, W-D-L) is the longest in the team’s history; 36-game unbeaten streak (28-0-8, W-D-L) is the second-longest in team history (2007-09). Their last defeat came against Colombia in March 2024. It is currently tied with Italy (2018-21) for the longest international football winning run.
Can Argentina Wins Again?
Can Anyone Stop the Champions? No, doesn’t appear so. Like we said before, La Albiceleste won again. This time it was against England. Their seventh qualification sees Argentina equal Brazil for second most World Cup finals ever (Germany have eight). Lionel Messi and company are also still in the hunt to become the first team to win four major silvers down in a row and the third repeat World Cup winner. And look at this. Messi didn’t score in the last two games but gave three assists including helping Argentina beat England.
Spain Triumphs
There have only been two countries who have been the favorites since the 2026 FIFA World Cup odds were announced in 2022, and they are Spain and France. And with Spain beating France to reach their second World Cup final, there’s only one left. At least after Tuesday, La Roja seems to have a slight advantage over Les Bleus. Spain have beaten France eight times in 11 games in the last 20 years, more than any other team.
Spain have a 19-7-13 (W-D-L) record versus France in all competitions, outscoring Les Bleus 73-44. In knockout games (World Cup, European Championship, UEFA Nations League) the two countries are now level at four wins apiece, although Spain has won four of the last five. France’s string of World Cup championship appearances was finally snapped with the loss after reaching the final in 2018 (win) and 2022 (loss).
Yamine Lamal vs Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are two generations of footballing genius, from a historic tie at Barcelona to global icons. Yamal and Messi both came from the storied FC Barcelona La Masia academy, with Yamal the team’s most promising young player and Messi its greatest ever. Their similar styles, from their inventiveness, dribbling skills, and fearless approach to their miraculous left foot, have fostered comparisons between the two celebrities.
The story was even more special because years later, a charity photo of a young Yamal with Messi from 2007 went viral and created an incredible link in Barcelona’s history and future. Yamal now is playing for Spain and Messi is leading Argentina and the football world is hoping for a historic showdown between the two generations in the 2026 World Cup final: the juvenile prodigy taking on the seasoned veteran in a match that would signal the passing of the guard in the sport.
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