Despite their status as giants of football, Spain and Argentina, who meet on Sunday in the World Cup final, have faced each other only a few times, having been deprived this year of a highly anticipated clash due to the cancellation of the 'Finalissima' match.

The only previous World Cup meeting between the two teams dates back to 1966, long before Argentina's first titles (1978, 1986, and 2022) or Spain's (2010), when they were drawn in Group 2 alongside Switzerland and West Germany, who later lost the final.

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On July 13, 1966 in Birmingham, Argentina defeated 'La Roja' 2-1 thanks to a brace from Luis Artime. Spain later exited in the group stage, while the 'Albiceleste' fell in the quarter-finals to England, who later won the title (1-0). Overall, Argentina, which has seen many of its players shine in La Liga, has faced Spain 14 times, with nearly perfect balance: six wins each and two draws. The last meeting between them, in March 2018, ended in a resounding 6-1 victory for Spain over the South American team, which was missing Lionel Messi due to injury. After trailing 1-2 at halftime, the Argentine team completely collapsed in the second half against Spain, then coached by Julen Lopetegui. That served as a kind of revenge for Spain, which had suffered a major shock in 2010 when, after winning the World Cup in South Africa, they suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Argentina just weeks later, a match in which Messi scored—the only player still present from that encounter. The honorary victory in March 2018 boosted Spain's hopes of winning their second world star in the Russia World Cup, but those ambitions quickly dissipated when they were eliminated by the host nation in the round of 16, the same round from which Argentina exited at the hands of France. Given the rarity of encounters between the two teams, the 'Finalissima' match scheduled for March 27 last year between Spain, European champions, and Argentina, winners of the 2024 Copa América, was eagerly anticipated. However, the match, which was to be held in Qatar, was canceled due to the war in the Middle East, along with other sporting events, including the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Jeddah Grand Prix in the Formula One World Championship. The cancellation sparked a dispute between the two federations, with each blaming the other for failing to find a suitable date and venue to reschedule the match within an already congested football calendar. Four months after that missed date, Spain and Argentina will finally meet, but this time for a much more important title, when they face off on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.