2026 World Cup: Spain vs. Argentina Without Álvaro Morata, Who Gets Emotional—Comments from MetLife Stadium
The Spain-Argentina match in the 2026 World Cup final pitted the reigning Copa América and European Championship champions against each other, among other things. In the Euro 2024 final against England, the Spanish team was captained by Álvaro Morata, who has since left the national team (he played only one World Cup qualifying match, against Turkey in September 2025). However, his successor, Rodri, hasn’t forgotten him; he dedicated a heartfelt message to the former Juventus and Milan striker—who joined Como at the start of last season—that moved him to tears.
“I haven’t spoken with him in the last few days, but I did before the World Cup. I’m sure he’s rooting for us and cheering us on; let’s hope we can celebrate with him. If we’re here today, a significant part of our journey is thanks to him,” Rodri had stated two days before the Spain-Argentina match. Morata himself, who attended MetLife Stadium despite being unable to play, spoke with reporters from ‘AS’. “When they say things like that about me, it fills me with pride,” he admitted. “I tried to help Spain as always, just as I know he’s doing now. I’m really happy, but I don’t want to cry here right now.”
Morata’s season at Como was not without its challenges. Last December, the forward suffered a severe injury to the long adductor muscle in his left thigh during a Serie A match against Inter, a setback that kept him off the field for several months. That injury had further diminished his chances of being called up to the national team, which were already slim after his single appearance in World Cup qualifying.
At MetLife Stadium, meanwhile, Luis de la Fuente stuck with the 4-2-3-1 formation that carried Spain all the way through the tournament, with Unai Simon in goal, Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, and Cucurella in defense, Rodri and Fabian Ruiz in midfield, and the trio of Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Alex Baena supporting lone striker Oyarzabal. Lionel Scaloni, on the other hand, opted for a 4-4-2 with the Messi-Alvarez duo 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’s worth noting that the two national teams were originally scheduled to face off in a major event, the “Finalissima”—which pits the winners of the Copa América against those of the European Championship—initially planned for 2025 and later postponed to March 2026. However, difficulties stemming from the extremely packed soccer schedule ultimately led CONMEBOL and UEFA to cancel the event permanently. Fate, however, decreed that Spain and Argentina would meet on an even bigger stage.
In the background of the match, the race for the top spot on the scoring leaderboard is also taking center stage. Kylian Mbappé, who was eliminated with France in the third-place match they 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.” It’s a prediction that Argentina’s No. 10, in his final World Cup appearance, will be looking to make a reality during this final.
