Spain have been tipped to win the World Cup by an Opta supercomputer, which gives La Roja a 45.1 per cent chance of lifting the trophy inside 90 minutes in Sunday's final against Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Argentina, the reigning champions, have a 29.4 per cent probability of victory, while the chance of the match going to extra time or a penalty shootout stands at 25.4 per cent, according to the computer model.
Spain's Path to the Final
Luis de la Fuente's side outplayed France, many people's pre-tournament favourites, with a comprehensive 2-0 win in the semi-finals. Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who scored in that match, said: "I'm very proud of my team and what it represents for us. Now it's time to rest because we probably have the most important match of our lives on Sunday."
Rodri added: "We all needed each other. I had a lot of help in the midfield to control such a physical and aggressive team on second balls – I would say it was a very complete match."
Argentina's Semi-Final Comeback
A Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina overcame England in their semi-final, coming from behind to win 2-1 in the dying stages. If Messi plays against Spain, he will become only the second player, after Brazilian icon Cafu, to feature in three World Cup finals, having played in 2014 and 2022.
Victory over the Euro 2024 champions would also see the 39-year-old become the first captain to retain the World Cup, following Argentina's win over France in Qatar four years ago.
Speaking after the win over England, Messi said: "It was a special match against England, we couldn't lose. While this group doesn't owe anything to anyone, you know how Argentinians are, we always demand more."
He added: "I think if we had lost today, people would have come out and said some nonsense, and we didn't give them the chance. We knew that we were better than them in terms of football. But a lot is at stake in a match of this magnitude, where historic events happen in these games, and we had to win."
Messi Reflects on the Journey
Messi continued: "Everything we experienced was incredible, from the very beginning. Although it was a football match, when we started to enter the field and during the anthem, we experienced special feelings, and the group felt that. It wasn't just another victory; it was an important victory that the Argentine people wanted, and we wanted it too, and it put us in another World Cup final."
"It's crazy to play two World Cup finals in a row. This group is incredible. Today we went looking for it again when things got tough, we never stopped believing, never stopped trying. With our style of play, today we really put our game into it when we were down on the scoreboard. We pinned them back in their own half and it's an enormous joy."
Spain are slight favourites with bookmakers heading into the tie, and the supercomputer's prediction aligns with that assessment.
