John Terry, the former Chelsea and England captain, has predicted that Spain will overcome Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final. The final is set for Sunday in New Jersey, with Spain seeking their second world title after their 2010 victory, while Argentina aim for a fourth crown and a successful title defence.
Spain's Semi-Final Dominance
Spain secured their place in the final with a commanding 2-0 win over France, the tournament favourites. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half, a spot kick won by 19-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal. Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the second half, extinguishing France's hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final. Spain's defence has been formidable, conceding very few goals throughout the tournament.
Argentina's Gritty Comeback
Argentina, the defending champions, advanced by coming from behind to beat England in the other semi-final. England led through Anthony Gordon's second-half strike, but Enzo Fernandez equalised with a long-range effort before Lautaro Martinez headed home an injury-time winner. The match was marked by Argentina's physicality and team spirit, which Terry noted as a key strength.
Terry's Analysis
Terry, who earned 78 England caps and won five Premier League titles, shared his thoughts on Sports Uncensored. He said: 'Being present at both semi-finals, I have to say, for me, I have Spain as the favourites. Both sides are very, very comfortable with the ball and in possession. But I just look at Argentina last night, everything went down their right with Lionel Messi. Any time they switched over to the left, it very quickly came back down the right. Marc Cucurella was man of the match the other night in the first semi-final and Spain look very strong down the left-hand side. Also, not conceding against France and barely conceding in the World Cup is incredible. They’ve got too much for Argentina in my opinion.'
Terry acknowledged Argentina's threat: 'Argentina are a big, big threat and as we’ve seen throughout this World Cup they find a way. When you’ve got that magician in Messi you will always have a chance and an opportunity. But I just think Spain will be too good for this Argentina side. Saying that I do think they showed a side last night which not many teams have, that grit and toughness. What I loved about them against England actually was after any tackle all the players would be over and causing a bit of a scuffle. They were so together, they’ve got grit about them, but I still think Spain will edge it.'
Souness Shares Similar View
Scottish football icon Graeme Souness also views Spain as slight favourites. He said: 'I think it’s a hard one to call. We’ve seen what Argentina are about. At the start of the game they try to niggle you into thinking about different things rather than concentration on your game. Spain, for me, are the favourites but I find it really hard to rule out Argentina because they can dig deep, you write them off at your peril. I put Spain as the slight favourites but having played against plenty of Argentinian players, I know how mentally tough they are. They are proper footballers from a tough nation. I think it’s a nip and tuck game, a really hard one to call.'
Argentina are looking to become only the third team to successfully defend the World Cup, while Spain aim to join the list of multiple-time winners. The third-place play-off between England and France takes place on Saturday.
