Both teams earned their spot in the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium. Spain cruised past France 2-0. Argentina needed a 92nd-minute winner from Lautaro Martínez to survive England. The roads tell you a lot about these two teams already. Spain dominates. Argentina survives.Here's how they stack up across three departments, using FC 26 official ratings.
SPAIN vs ARGENTINA
Attack: Who Scores More?
| SPAIN ATTACK | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | POS | OVR | PAC | SHO | PAS | DRI | DEF | PHY | Role |
| Lamine Yamal | RM | 89 | 85 | 81 | 86 | 90 | 23 | 53 | Won the semifinal penalty. 19 years old, defenders fear him. |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | ST | 82 | 77 | 83 | 81 | 82 | 42 | 65 | Tournament top scorer with 5 goals. Clinical finisher, not flashy. |
| Nico Williams | LW | 86 | 93 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 36 | 66 | Pure pace threat on the left. 93 PAC stretches any defense. |
| ARGENTINA ATTACK | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | POS | OVR | PAC | SHO | PAS | DRI | DEF | PHY | Role |
| Lionel Messi | RW | 86 | 78 | 85 | 85 | 90 | 33 | 64 | 8 tournament goals. Both assists in the semifinal. Carries this team. |
| Lautaro Martínez | ST | 88 | 81 | 88 | 75 | 84 | 51 | 83 | 92nd-minute winner vs England. 88 SHO, scores when it matters. |
| Julián Álvarez | ST | 87 | 85 | 87 | 81 | 87 | 57 | 79 | Long-range stunner vs Switzerland. Links Messi to the front line. |
Attack edge: Argentina. Messi + Lautaro + Álvarez have 19 tournament goals between them. Spain's Oyarzabal leads with 5, but the combined FC 26 OVR of Argentina's front three (261) beats Spain's (257). Argentina also has the clutch gene, scoring late in every knockout round.
Midfield: Who Controls the Game?
| SPAIN MIDFIELD | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | POS | OVR | PAC | SHO | PAS | DRI | DEF | PHY | Role |
| Rodri | CDM | 90 | 65 | 80 | 86 | 84 | 86 | 85 | Best CDM in FC 26. The reason Spain conceded once all tournament. |
| Pedri | CM | 89 | 77 | 73 | 85 | 91 | 78 | 77 | 91 DRI, ball sticks under pressure. Controls tempo beside Rodri. |
| Dani Olmo | CAM | 85 | 73 | 79 | 83 | 87 | 50 | 56 | Creative link. Tiki Taka + Incisive Pass PlayStyles. |
| ARGENTINA MIDFIELD | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | POS | OVR | PAC | SHO | PAS | DRI | DEF | PHY | Role |
| Alexis Mac Allister | CM | 87 | 66 | 82 | 85 | 85 | 78 | 76 | Midfield balance. 85 PAS feeds Messi. 78 DEF shields the back. |
| Rodrigo De Paul | CM | 84 | 75 | 78 | 83 | 83 | 76 | 83 | Engine room. 83 PHY, runs all game, presses hard. |
| Enzo Fernández | CM | 84 | 68 | 75 | 85 | 81 | 73 | 75 | Equalizer vs England in the 85th. Press-resistant passer. |
Midfield edge: Spain. Rodri (90) and Pedri (89) are the best midfield pair in FC 26, full stop. Combined OVR of 264 vs Argentina's 255. Spain's midfield also has the tournament's best defensive record, conceding one goal. Argentina's midfield scores more, but Spain's controls games.
Defense & Verdict
Spain's back line has been the story of the tournament:
- Goals conceded: Spain 1 in 7 games. Argentina 7 in 7 games.
- Clean sheets: Spain 6. Argentina 2.
- Key defender (Spain): Aymeric Laporte, 82 OVR, 83 DEF, 77 PHY. Quietly elite.
- Key defender (Argentina): Nicolás Otamendi, 83 OVR, 84 DEF, 83 PHY. Veteran leader but exposed by pace.
- Goalkeeper (Spain): Unai Simón, 85 OVR. Reliable, six clean sheets.
- Goalkeeper (Argentina): Emiliano Martínez, 85 OVR. Big-game performer, saves penalties.
On FC 26 ratings alone, Spain wins this comparison. They have the higher-rated squad, the better midfield, and a defense that has been nearly impenetrable. Argentina has Messi, and that counts for more than any rating. But the question is whether one man, even the greatest of all time, can beat the best team in the tournament.
Spain is the better team on paper. Argentina is the more dangerous team when the clock hits 85 minutes.
