Spain have conceded one goal in seven matches at this World Cup. That number is the foundation of Luis de la Fuente's run to the final in New Jersey, where the reigning European champions face Argentina, the holders of the world title. The tournament started with a goalless draw against Cape Verde that nobody had predicted, yet Spain built quietly and methodically from there, and the work was crowned in the semi-final with a 2-0 dismantling of France. In the centre of the pitch Rodri has been running a masterclass: 648 passes, more than any player at the tournament, at 93 per cent accuracy, and a record 83,802 metres covered. Fabián Ruiz and Dani Olmo hold full control beside him, while the pairing of Aymeric Laporte and 19-year-old Pau Cubarsí has turned the centre of defence into a barrier nobody has got past. Further forward, Mikel Oyarzabal, so often left in the shadows, is the team's leading scorer with five goals. Technically, no side at this tournament is better put together.
Standing opposite that solidity is Argentina, a team for whom logic is usually a secondary matter. Lionel Messi, 39 only a few weeks ago, has proved once again that nothing is beyond him; he leads the scoring charts with eight goals and produced another act of wonder in the semi-final against England with two assists. Yet the road to the final has not been free of scandal. The Switzerland and Egypt managers criticised the officiating openly and hinted that football's establishment is looking after Messi and his team. The captain answered those accusations himself. "Nothing was handed to us," he said. Argentina have shown more than once that Houdini-esque escapes are their trademark, turning the games against Egypt, Switzerland and England around in the closing minutes. Their decisive man is Enzo Fernández, whose energy has brought a tournament-high 43 balls won and vital goals at the moments that mattered most.
The link between these two worlds was created by one old photograph: Messi, 20 years old in 2007, bathing a baby called Lamine Yamal. "The beginning of two legends," Yamal's father called that frame, and it reads like prophecy now. Today Yamal is 19 and the main hope of both Barcelona and Spain; his pace and creativity will be the biggest puzzle Nicolás Tagliafico has to solve. This final is exactly that battle of contrasts: Spanish absolute control against Argentine chaotic instinct. Logic is powerless. Most analysts back Spain because of the superior technical quality, but Argentina know how to survive when everything is against them.
On Sunday, history will be written at the New York and New Jersey stadium. One side is chasing a second world title and confirmation of European dominance, the other back-to-back crowns and a glorious end to a legend. For the 22 footballers on the pitch, tactics and numbers are only background, because a World Cup final is won by whoever does not stop breathing until the very last second
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