Spain and Argentina went into the World Cup final half-time break level at 0-0 at MetLife Stadium, with Luis de la Fuente’s side dominant in possession but unable to find a breakthrough against a resilient Argentina defence.
Kickoff came six minutes later than scheduled, with Argentina getting the match underway. Spain lined up in a 4-2-3-1, with Unai Simon in goal behind Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella, Fabian Ruiz and Rodri anchoring midfield, and Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena supporting Mikel Oyarzabal up front. Argentina set up in a 4-4-2, with Emiliano Martinez behind Nahuel Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez and Nicolas Tagliafico, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Nico Gonzalez in midfield, and Lionel Messi partnering Julian Alvarez in attack.
Spain created the first real chance inside five minutes, Olmo playing a first-time ball around the corner to send Yamal through, only for Emiliano Martinez to block well and gather the loose ball. Argentina responded with a rare break of their own, Unai Simon forced to race off his line to deny Messi a clear run at goal. Yamal was involved again moments later, reaching the byline and squaring for a chance that Argentina’s defence scrambled to clear.
Spain continued to dominate the ball through the opening quarter of an hour, holding around two thirds of possession, though clear chances remained scarce. Argentina’s best spell came midway through the half, with Rodrigo De Paul and Nico Gonzalez, both introduced as impact substitutes in the semi-final against England, starting from the outset in an attempt to disrupt Spain’s rhythm.
The half’s key moment arrived in the 41st minute, when Lisandro Martinez was booked for a reckless challenge on Oyarzabal, who had been driving forward on the break. Three minutes later, Martinez had to be withdrawn through injury, replaced by the more experienced but less mobile Nicolas Otamendi, a blow for Argentina heading into the second half. Spain also had appeals for a second yellow card on Alexis Mac Allister waved away after a heavy challenge on Olmo, a decision that drew criticism from pundits watching on.
Spain’s control was reflected in the underlying numbers, with the hosts responsible for the entirety of a combined expected goals tally of 0.10 across the half, and around 64 per cent overall possession. Despite that dominance, they were unable to convert territorial advantage into clear-cut opportunities, with Messi restricted to just a handful of touches and Alvarez managing only seven in the opening 40 minutes.
Both sides went into the interval goalless, with Spain widely seen as the superior side on the balance of play but Argentina, as they have shown throughout the knockout stages, still very much in the contest. The match resumes after a half-time show featuring Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber and BTS, with United States President Donald Trump among those watching from the stands, alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
