{"id":7913,"date":"2026-07-16T17:35:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T17:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/16\/how-can-argentina-and-messi-beat-spain-and-yamal-to-defend-world-cup\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T17:35:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T17:35:34","slug":"how-can-argentina-and-messi-beat-spain-and-yamal-to-defend-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/16\/how-can-argentina-and-messi-beat-spain-and-yamal-to-defend-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"How can Argentina and Messi beat Spain and Yamal to defend World Cup?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Four years after their triumph in Lusail Stadium at Qatar 2022, Argentina have the chance to become only the third side to defend a World Cup crown.<\/p>\n<p>They may be led by the legendary Lionel Messi, they may be champions of South America \u2013 indeed, the holders may well be the comeback kings of the tournament \u2013 but they are not the favourites.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 4 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/16\/fifa-world-cup-final-2026-date-time-and-venue-trump-prediction\">World Cup: All to know before Sunday\u2019s Spain vs Argentina blockbuster final<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/15\/argentine-vp-calls-england-pirates-ahead-of-world-cup-semifinal-clash\">Argentinian VP calls England \u2018pirates\u2019 ahead of World Cup semifinal clash<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/15\/argentina-players-brandish-political-falklands-flag-after-england-match\">Argentina players brandish political Falklands flag after England match<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 4 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/16\/epic-squared-scaloni-lauds-argentinas-back-to-back-world-cup-comebacks\">\u2018Epic squared\u2019: Scaloni lauds Argentina\u2019s back-to-back World Cup comebacks<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Standing in their way of claiming a first for more than half a century, since Brazil defended their title in 1962, are the European champions \u2013 and pre-tournament favourites \u2013 Spain.<\/p>\n<p>Al Jazeera Sport looks at why the defending champions are seen as the outsiders for Sunday\u2019s final and what chance they have to upset the odds.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-are-spain-favourites-to-win-the-fifa-world-cup-2026-final\">Why are Spain favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 final?<\/h2>\n<p>Spain came into the 2026 edition as the number one ranked team in the world and the favourites to lift the trophy, but they lost that mantle mid-campaign to the attacking endeavour of France.<\/p>\n<p>The star turns of Kylian Mbappe and Ballon d\u2019Or holder Ousmane Dembele were ably supported by Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, with the latter\u2019s Paris Saint-Germain teammate and starlet of French football, Desire Doue, demoted to his supporting act.<\/p>\n<p>Going into the semifinal clash between the European giants, the French were firmly the favourites to lift the title \u2013 as long as they could see off the Spanish.<\/p>\n<p>They could not.<\/p>\n<p>Spain did not give the French a sniff in their <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/14\/spain-deliver-masterclass-to-beat-france-2-0-and-reach-world-cup-final\">2-0 win<\/a> and Mbappe, Dembele and co ploughed lone and desperate furrows in their limited attempts to lay the foundations for their team to find their footing.<\/p>\n<p>Having been held by debutants Cape Verde in their opening game of the tournament, the spotlight was on the Spanish thereafter.<\/p>\n<p>They limped past Uruguay, Portugal and Belgium and failed to fire overall \u2013 until they met the French.<\/p>\n<p>Now Spain\u2019s confidence is restored \u2013 if it was ever even in doubt.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4771092\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4771092\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/afp_6a569f36eb6b-1784061750.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Spain's forward #19 Lamine Yamal fouls France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe during the 2026 World Cup football tournament semi-final match between France and Spain at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on July 14, 2026.\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4771092\">Spain\u2019s Lamine Yamal fouls France\u2019s Kylian Mbappe during their semifinal [File: AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"what-are-spain-s-strengths-that-should-concern-argentina\">What are Spain\u2019s strengths that should concern Argentina?<\/h2>\n<p>The question is perhaps easier answered in terms of where are their weaknesses? There don\u2019t appear to be many and that is why their underwhelming performances up to the semifinal were such a surprise.<\/p>\n<p>Coming into the tournament, coach Luis de la Fuente <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/5\/26\/united-spain-first-as-barcelona-top-absent-real-madrid-in-world-cup-squad\">attempted to rally his troops<\/a> \u2013 and the country \u2013 by talking of a \u201cunited\u201d Spain.<\/p>\n<p>No Real Madrid player was named in the Spanish squad for the tournament, which threw open the question about the credentials of the European champions\u2019 current set-up.<\/p>\n<p>Eight of the 26-man squad play for Barcelona, who last season defended the domestic title with ease.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me, the greatest team there is \u2013 the very \u200c\u200cgreatest \u2013 is the Spanish national team,\u201d de la Fuente said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t look at where players come from or their background. What matters are Spanish players who are proud to represent their country\u2019s national team and to be part of a united nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is not only a Catalonia conundrum for de la Fuente to solve.<\/p>\n<p>Of the starting semifinalists in midfield and attack for the Spanish, Fabian Ruiz is the pivot in midfield for Champions League holders PSG, Alex Baena is Atletico Madrid\u2019s darling on the flank, Rodri is Manchester City\u2019s 2024 Ballon d\u2019Or-winning maestro, and the lone frontman, Mikel Oyarzabal, is putting Real Sociedad on the map for the global audience.<\/p>\n<p>The 29-year-old\u2019s five goals at the tournament so far may well give him an iconic status in Spanish football history, if the trophy can be secured.<\/p>\n<p>Then there is Spain\u2019s Barcelona-based spine. Lamine Yamal is the new poster boy of world football \u2013 despite a quiet campaign off the back of a pre-tournament hamstring injury \u2013 and, alongside Real-rival Mbappe, is seen as successor to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the global superstars of the sport.<\/p>\n<p>The 19-year-old provided many a star turn to help the Spanish win Euro 2024, but his adoring fans await his moment of magic at the World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>Dani Olmo is the orchestrator of attacks, slotting between the defensive duo in midfield and looking to feed the wingers and the striker.<\/p>\n<p>Pau Cubarsi, at only 19 years of age, has made himself a fixture for club and country in the heart of defence.<\/p>\n<p>The might of the Spanish is perhaps best exemplified by the fact that one of the most sought-after talents in the game, Athletic Bilbao\u2019s 24-year-old winger, has hardly had a look-in, despite his key role in their Euro 2024 campaign.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4777486\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4777486\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-02T190547Z_2089388931_UP1EM721H1M0W_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ESP-AUT-1784216882.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C559&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Spain's Lamine Yamal lines up with Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal at FIFA world Cup 2026\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4777486\">Spain\u2019s Lamine Yamal lines up with Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal at World Cup 2026 [Jessie Alcheh\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"what-kind-of-world-cup-final-will-spain-and-argentina-produce\">What kind of World Cup final will Spain and Argentina produce?<\/h2>\n<p>It is hard to see the final playing out as Argentina\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/15\/argentina-stun-england-in-2-1-comeback-win-to-reach-2026-world-cup-final\">2-1 semifinal win<\/a> against England did \u2013 their latest turnaround, having also come from behind to beat Egypt in the last 16.<\/p>\n<p>The English, with stars from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and \u2013 with Anthony Gordon\u2019s recent move \u2013 Barcelona, dominated Argentina until Gordon\u2019s 55th minute goal.<\/p>\n<p>Thereafter the shift \u2013 helped by England\u2019s retreat \u2013 saw Argentina end with 64 percent of the possession across the game.<\/p>\n<p>England are not renowned for keep ball, but Spain are, and they will look to hold the midfield, as the English did until their goal, and limit the attacking threat of Messi by wearing Argentina down.<\/p>\n<p>Should Spain take the lead, at whatever time, do not expect de la Fuente to order all his troops to defend their own box as Thomas Tuchel ill-advisedly instructed England to do to their cost in Atlanta on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Rodri and Ruiz will be ordered to control the game from start to finish. Yamal, Olmo and Baena will be tasked with supporting Oyarzabal at every opportunity and, should it come to it, counter at pace if Argentina have to throw everything at chasing the game as they did against England.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4777498\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4777498\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-15T202639Z_900951425_UP1EM7F1KSD7I_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ENG-ARG-1784217199.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C474&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Argentina's Lionel Messi in action with England's Marc Guehi and Harry Kane\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4777498\">Lionel Messi\u2019s role against England was limited but decisive [Nathan Ray Seebeck\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"is-messi-argentina-s-best-chance-against-spain\">Is Messi Argentina\u2019s best chance against Spain?<\/h2>\n<p>Having been the pin-up of Barcelona and Spanish football for nearly two decades, Lionel Messi will be seen as Argentina\u2019s best chance of defending their title.<\/p>\n<p>With eight goals at the tournament already \u2013 and set to be named the Golden Boot winner barring an Oyarzabal hat-trick or better \u2013 Messi put to bed any doubt about his ability to continue to lead the way for Argentina at the age of 39.<\/p>\n<p>Although he was an isolated figure for most of the last-four victory against the English, it was Messi who laid on two assists as Argentina produced their late comeback. Lautaro Martinez was the beneficiary on one of those occasions as he headed home the injury-time winner for his third goal of the tournament. Beyond those three, no other player for either side has reached three goals.<\/p>\n<p>Martinez, who leads the line for Italian club Inter Milan, is once again likely to start from the bench in the final, with the Atletico Madrid duo of Julian Alvarez and Giuliano Simeone required to make the running on the flanks.<\/p>\n<p>Behind those three will be the wall that the English could not conquer.<\/p>\n<p>It starts with the three powerful midfielders who will run all game, Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Paredes and Enzo Fernandez, who scored his side\u2019s equaliser in the semifinal.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"can-argentina-s-defence-keep-spain-and-yamal-at-bay\">Can Argentina\u2019s defence keep Spain and Yamal at bay?<\/h2>\n<p>At the heart of the Argentina defence are a pair that divide opinions. Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville has described Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero as the \u201cbest, worst centre-half pairing in the world\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey seem to give a goal away between them every single game,\u201d Neville said on the Overlap Podcast.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut you watch them, they are scoring goals, heading the ball, they\u2019re literally everywhere \u2013 it\u2019s incredible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey absolutely at times can be unbelievable, but the next, it\u2019s the sublime to the ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Romero, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, described the comments as \u201cridiculous\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The pair, who are both 28, will leave nothing behind by the time the final kick is struck in the tournament and Martinez will not flinch at criticism.<\/p>\n<p>Neville\u2019s former United teammate Paul Scholes has previously said the club will not win the title with Martinez at centre-half \u2013 his 1.75 metres height, being one of the main reasons for the comment.<\/p>\n<p>However, the Old Trafford crowd have taken Martinez to heart due to his commitment to the cause, and their struggles at the back in the last two seasons have been put down to the defender\u2019s prolonged absences through injury.<\/p>\n<p>Oyarzabal stands six centimetres taller than Martinez, but it is unlikely that balls thrown endlessly into the box by Spain will settle the final.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the headlines are likely to be written by Barcelona\u2019s past, present and, likely, future \u2013 but will it be the magic of Messi or Yamal that leaves their mark on this World Cup?<\/p>\n<p>The game\u2019s sales folk and financiers will be just as hopeful as the fans that it is a moment of beauty from one of the superstars that illuminates, not only the final, but leaves their unmistakably and irreplaceably marketable imprint on the 2026 finale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Four years after their triumph in Lusail Stadium at Qatar 2022, Argentina have the chance to become only the third side to defend a World Cup crown. They may be led by the legendary Lionel Messi, they may be champions of South America \u2013 indeed, the holders may well be the comeback kings of the &#8230; <a title=\"How can Argentina and Messi beat Spain and Yamal to defend World Cup?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/16\/how-can-argentina-and-messi-beat-spain-and-yamal-to-defend-world-cup\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How can Argentina and Messi beat Spain and Yamal to defend World Cup?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}