Yamal's blank sheet, one final chance to fill it
Nineteen, back from injury, and staring at a final against the country of his birth.
Nineteen years old. Still no goal at this World Cup. Just back from a hamstring tear that ended his club season early. And now the final throws Lamine Yamal at the country of his birth — the grandest possible stage for a strike that has stubbornly refused to arrive.
At the far end of the tale stands a man three times his age in football miles. Lionel Messi tops all scorers here on eight goals, and whether Sunday is his last night in the Albiceleste is a question even those closest to him admit he may not yet have answered.
Spain reach a final for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 2010, and they arrive with a single goal conceded across six matches — an echo of Italy's miserly march in 2006. Argentina hunt a fourth crown and back-to-back titles, reaching their seventh showpiece and third in just four tournaments.
One team's evenings have been tight and low-scoring; the other's cracked wide open. The bookmakers lean towards Spain. Yet fourteen meetings sit dead level at six wins each. Something has to break.
Written and fact-checked by our AI preview desk from live match data. Refreshed as kickoff nears.