The 2026 World Cup final will be a clash of styles, with Argentina's relentless aggression colliding with Spain's serene control, according to BBC Sport expert Chris Sutton. Writing ahead of the showpiece at the MetLife Stadium, Sutton described the contrast as 'chaos versus calm' and backed Luis de la Fuente's side to come out on top.
"I've seen Argentina numerous times at this tournament and, compared to their teams of the past, this is not an outstanding Argentina side," Sutton said. "Still, you have to admire their fight and their aggression. They fight like no other team to stay in games and win any way they can. They will throw everything they can at Spain – and of course they have Lionel Messi too."
Sutton, along with AI and users of the BBC's predictor game, has been forecasting results throughout the tournament. Only AI correctly tipped Argentina to beat England in the semi-finals, but the users lead overall with 72 correct predictions out of 104. Sutton himself has called 65 matches correctly, mirroring the 64% success rate of the AI.
Spain's perfect run
Spain have yet to trail in any of their seven matches, dismantling France in the semi-final with a near-perfect performance. "Not only did they nullify France's fantastic attack, they absolutely played them off the park," Sutton noted. "It was a near-perfect performance and I suppose the only question is can they do it again?"
Bronze final – a game nobody wants
France face England in the third-place play-off, a fixture often met with indifference. Sutton expects both sides to rotate heavily and predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Didier Deschamps's team in his final game as manager. The AI concurred with the same scoreline.
"The truth is no-one really cares about this game," Sutton admitted. "Neither country really wants it, and you can imagine the mood in both camps. It is also very difficult to predict because it is likely to be France reserves against England reserves."
How to watch in the UK
The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will be broadcast live on both ITV and BBC, giving UK viewers the luxury of choice. Kick-off is at 20:00 BST on Sunday, 19 July, from the MetLife Stadium in New York. The bronze final between France and England kicks off on Saturday, 18 July at 22:00 BST, and will also be shown on both channels.
For those following the predictor game, you can still make your picks via the BBC Sport website.