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World Cup final data pointers: Spain’s defensive record and Argentina’s attack
Spain squad
- Full squad
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1 David RAYA Goalkeeper
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2 Marc PUBILL Defender
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3 Alex GRIMALDO Defender
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4 Eric GARCIA Defender
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5 Marcos LLORENTE Defender
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6 Mikel MERINO Midfielder
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7 Ferran TORRES Forward
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8 Fabian RUIZ Midfielder
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9 GAVI Midfielder
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10 Dani OLMO Forward
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11 Yeremy PINO Forward
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12 Pedro PORRO Defender
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13 Joan GARCIA Goalkeeper
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14 Aymeric LAPORTE Defender
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15 Alex BAENA Midfielder
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16 RODRI Midfielder
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17 Nico WILLIAMS Forward
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18 Martin ZUBIMENDI Midfielder
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19 Lamine YAMAL Forward
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20 PEDRI Midfielder
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21 Mikel OYARZABAL Forward
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22 Pau CUBARSI Defender
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23 Unai SIMON Goalkeeper
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24 Marc CUCURELLA Defender
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25 Victor MUNOZ Forward
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26 Borja IGLESIAS Forward
Argentina squad
- Full squad
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1 Juan MUSSO Goalkeeper
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2 Marcos SENESI Defender
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3 Nicolas TAGLIAFICO Defender
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4 Gonzalo MONTIEL Defender
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5 Leandro PAREDES Midfielder
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6 Lisandro MARTINEZ Defender
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7 Rodrigo DE PAUL Midfielder
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8 Valentin BARCO Midfielder
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9 Julian ALVAREZ Forward
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10 Lionel MESSI Forward
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11 Giovani Lo Celso Midfielder
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12 Geronimo RULLI Goalkeeper
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13 Cristian ROMERO Defender
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14 Exequiel PALACIOS Midfielder
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15 Nico GONZALEZ Midfielder
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16 Thiago ALMADA Forward
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17 Giuliano SIMEONE Forward
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18 Nico PAZ Forward
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19 Nicolas OTAMENDI Defender
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20 Alexis MAC ALLISTER Midfielder
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21 Jose Manuel LOPEZ Forward
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22 Lautaro MARTINEZ Forward
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23 Emiliano MARTINEZ Goalkeeper
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24 Enzo FERNANDEZ Midfielder
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25 Facundo MEDINA Defender
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26 Nahuel MOLINA Defender
Spain and Argentina will contest a historic World Cup final between Europe's and South America's respective champions. Both nations rank among the world's elite international teams, with Spain's 37-game unbeaten record and Argentina's 14-consecutive wins marking them as the tournament's most successful campaigns through defensive solidity and attacking momentum.
The statistical narrative centres on Spain's fortress defence against Argentina's clinical efficiency. Spain has restricted opponents to 2.15 expected goals across the tournament—a defensive benchmark no other quarter-finalist has approached—yet Argentina remains the only team to shadow this performance, conceding nearly the same total. Argentina's consistent outperformance of their expected goal models suggests that conventional defensive analysis may understate their offensive threat, making the final competitive despite favourable computer predictions for Spain.
In short
- Spain has achieved the tournament's exceptional defensive record, conceding just 0.31 expected goals per match across seven games
- Argentina has outperformed their expected goals metrics more than any other quarter-finalist, suggesting clinical finishing
- Statistical analysis indicates a closer final than bookmaker predictions; Opta favours Spain but tournament data suggests it's highly competitive
Explained simply
Spain and Argentina will meet in the World Cup final. This match brings together the champions of Europe and South America.
Spain has an unbeaten record spanning 37 games and has conceded very few scoring opportunities throughout the tournament. Argentina has won 14 consecutive matches and has demonstrated consistent attacking strength.
The two finalists have taken notably different routes to the final: Spain with an emphasis on defensive strength, Argentina with an emphasis on attacking threat.