Who is the referee?
Slavko Vincic is set to make history as the first Slovene to officiate a World Cup final. He previously refereed the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley, where Real Madrid triumphed over Borussia Dortmund 2-0, and also managed Spain’s semi-final victory against France, which ended 2-1 at the 2024 Euros. The 46-year-old’s World Cup journey began with Argentina’s opening defeat to Saudi Arabia in 2022. During this tournament, Vincic issued a red card to Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié for covering his mouth in the 95th minute of their match against Mexico, averaging 2.33 yellow cards per match.
Historically, 13 of the last 14 World Cup and European Championship finals—across both men’s and women’s tournaments—have been secured by the team that played its semi-final first. The only exception occurred when the semi-finals were held on the same day. Spain initiated this trend by defeating Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final. Argentina also had the advantage of a four-day rest before the 2022 final, compared to France’s three days. This time, Spain enjoys an additional day of recovery.
Staying away
For the past 36 years, no Argentine president has attended a national team match during the World Cup, and current president Javier Milei is continuing this tradition. He has watched all seven games from the comfort of his presidential residence, stating on a Buenos Aires radio station that there is “reflect the identity of the winning team” he will travel to New Jersey. This superstition originates from 1990 when Carlos Menem attended the Argentina squad’s pre-match gathering before their unexpected loss to Cameroon. Since then, the presence of a president at a World Cup match has been believed to bring misfortune. In contrast, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and King Felipe VI plan to be present at the final.
History beckoning
If Argentina secures victory, they will join the ranks of just two other nations to win consecutive World Cups, the first being Italy in 1934 and 1938, followed by Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Conversely, should Spain emerge victorious, they would become the fourth men’s team to hold both the Euros and World Cup titles concurrently, alongside West Germany (1972, 1974), France (1998, 2000), and their own achievement of being the first team to win three major tournaments in succession (Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012).
Attack v defence?
In terms of scoring, Argentina leads all teams with a remarkable total of 19 goals, while Spain follows in fourth place with 14. However, Spain has demonstrated a strong defensive performance, conceding only one goal, in contrast to Argentina, which has allowed seven.
Rings for the winners
In addition to the excitement of the match, the winning team will receive championship rings. This tradition in the U.S. began with the 1922 World Series. A total of 30 rings will be awarded to the world champions, along with an additional 1,996 available for public sale. The ring design includes a miniature World Cup trophy on one side, while the opposite side will “After much discussion between Uefa and the organising authorities in Qatar, we can announce that due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima cannot be played as hoped in Qatar on 27 March.” as outlined on FIFA’s website. Players and coaches from the victorious team will receive temporary rings until the custom rings are finalized.
Cancelled Finalissima
Earlier this year, Argentina was set to face Spain in the Finalissima in Qatar, aiming to defend the title they won against Italy in 2022. Unfortunately, the match was cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. UEFA announced, “After much discussion between UEFA and the organising authorities in Qatar, we can confirm that due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima cannot be played as hoped in Qatar on March 27.” The teams could not reach a consensus on an alternative arrangement.
Who needs club coaching experience?
The upcoming final features two managers without any top-tier club experience. Luis de la Fuente was relieved of his duties after 11 games with third division Alavés and has been coaching Spain’s various age groups since 2013. Lionel Scaloni has primarily managed the Argentine national team, with only a brief stint overseeing the Under-20s. Despite their lack of elite club backgrounds, both coaches have proven their capabilities by winning the Euros, Copa América, and World Cup.
Minutes on the pitch
In addition to their extra day of rest, Spain may also be in better physical condition, having completed all their matches within the standard 90 minutes. Argentina, on the other hand, has played two matches that required extra time, totaling 794 minutes on the pitch compared to Spain’s 717 minutes. In Qatar, Argentina also faced similar conditions, playing an additional 30 minutes in the quarter-final. Will the older Argentine squad have enough stamina to compete?
Rare outdoor match for Spain
While weather conditions are not expected to be extreme, the National Weather Service has issued an air-quality alert due to wildfire smoke from Canada affecting the area. The New York Office of Emergency Management reported that air quality levels reached “very unhealthy” on Thursday, although conditions have improved since then. Throughout their campaign, Spain has largely avoided such environmental challenges, having played only one of their seven matches in an entirely outdoor stadium. Argentina has faced outdoor conditions three times, including two matches with temperatures reaching 32C.
World Cup history
The two teams have met once before in World Cup history, with Argentina winning 2-1 in the 1966 tournament. Luis Artime scored both goals for the South Americans, and the match report can be found here.
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