2026 World Cup, Spain vs. Argentina: Lele Adani’s assessment at the 90′ surprises everyone
The 90 (very long) minutes of regulation time in the Spain-Argentina match have rewritten the history of the Albiceleste, regardless of the final outcome of the 2026 World Cup final. Lionel Scaloni’s Selección entered extra time with a statistic as telling as it was unprecedented: 0 total shots, 0 shots on goal. These numbers even led Daniele Adani to make a categorical assessment live on ‘Rai1’. “The game is ugly, and Argentina is making it even uglier. They never, ever got back on track,” the commentator from Emilia had to admit—on a night when he also seemed to have less to say than usual—regarding Lionel Messi and his teammates. This assessment came exactly at the 90-minute mark, before the four minutes of stoppage time (which eventually became eight) that also saw Enzo Fernández sent off.
It was a rough night for Argentina, one that had already begun in the very first minutes, with Messi largely on the sidelines: the Albiceleste captain didn’t touch his first real ball of the match until the 16th minute, when he was fouled by Alex Baena. It was a warning sign of what would turn out to be an extremely difficult afternoon for the entire Selección, which was unable to consistently create danger against a Spanish team that dominated the field and possession.
In terms of lineup, Scaloni opted for a 4-4-2 formation with Messi and Julian Alvarez up front, leaving out Paredes and Giuliano Simeone from the semifinal against England and relying on Nico Gonzalez and Rodrigo De Paul to facilitate ball movement. It was a choice that did not yield the desired results, as the attacking duo remained isolated for long stretches and lacked adequate support. On the other side, Luis de la Fuente fielded his usual 4-2-3-1 formation with Unai Simon in goal, Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, and Cucurella on defense, Rodri and Fabian Ruiz in midfield, and the trio of Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Alex Baena supporting lone striker Oyarzabal.
Argentina’s lackluster performance, moreover, comes amid a backdrop of controversy that marked the entire evening, even off the field. Adani, who had already been at the center of heated debates throughout the tournament due to his comments openly favoring the Albiceleste, had been attacked in the hours leading up to the final by former player and “Sky” commentator Paolo Di Canio. In a video posted on social media, Di Canio revealed that he had received 52 WhatsApp messages from people outraged by his commentary during the semifinal against England, urging Italians to watch the matches with the volume turned down and reminding them: “Italy, we are Italians.”
Against the backdrop of the match, the race for the top of the scoring charts also remains open. Kylian Mbappé, who was eliminated with France in the third-place match lost to England, finished his World Cup with 10 goals, taking the lead in the scoring race with a two-goal advantage over Messi. Before leaving the United States, the Real Madrid star told ‘Fox Sports’: “Leo always scores. He’ll definitely score against Spain.” So far, however, the Frenchman’s prediction has come to nothing, with Argentina’s No. 10 unable to make an impact during the 90 minutes of regulation time in what is likely to be his final World Cup appearance.
