The GOAT Meets a Record-Matching Team in World Cup Final
In the early part of 2026, Spain and Argentina were set to meet in the Finalissima, pitting the winner of the Euros against the Copa America winners. While that game was cancelled, the two powers will meet on a much grander stage on Sunday, as Argentina attempt to defend their World Cup title against the hottest team in the world.
In Spain’s dominant win over France in the semifinal, they equalled Italy’s record 37-match unbeaten streak, with their most recent loss coming in March of 2024. With a suffocating backline, insulated by the excellent sweeper play of goalkeeper Unai Simon, a controlling midfield, and a dynamic attacking outlet in Lamine Yamal, they’ve proven to be not only the best team at the World Cup but, far and away, the most complete.
Due in part to Spain's unbothered run to the final, they'll enter Sunday as a +130 favourite to win inside of 90 minutes and a -160 favourite to lift the trophy.
Though Argentina have been far from Spain’s level, requiring extra time to get by Cape Verde and Switzerland as well as a controversial comeback against Egypt, they do have a couple of things going for them.
There’s no questioning their tournament savvy, having not only won the 2022 World Cup but also the 2021 and 2024 Copa Americas. And then there’s the Lionel Messi of it all. The 39-year-old remains a singular force capable of orchestrating attacks out of nowhere, and the galvanizing effect his twilight has on his teammates can’t be understated.
But, Messi and Argentina's pedigree is only worth so much, as they'll enter the final as +245 underdogs to win inside of 90 minutes and +120 to win outright.
Despite their underdog status, oddsmakers do expect them to have their say. Both teams to score is a pick'em at -115 on either side, with the Over/Under on 2.5 total goals coming in at +125/-145. Unsurprisingly, Messi has the shortest odds to score on Sunday, with his anytime market at +150. Yamal, who owned Spain's run to the Euros two summers ago but still seeks his first knockout-stage goal, is a distant fifth and behind three teammates at +255.
Four years ago, the greatest player of all time met a superior side led by an ascendant superstar – France and Kylian Mbappe – in what became one of the best World Cup Finals in history. Four years on, Messi again finds himself as the underdog against a team headlined by a star for the next generation. Whether history repeats, we’ll soon find out.
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Odds as of July 16, 2026.