Spain 6-1 Argentina: The Massacre That Haunts Sunday’s Final
Before Sunday's final, one night deserves a replay. March 27, 2018. The Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid. Spain 6, Argentina 1 — with Lionel Messi watching from a…
Before Sunday's final, one night deserves a replay. March 27, 2018. The Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid. Spain 6, Argentina 1 — with Lionel Messi watching from a box, injured, hand over his mouth.
The night it all came apart
On paper it was a friendly. On grass it was a dismantling: an Isco hat-trick, goals from Diego Costa, Thiago Alcantara and Iago Aspas, with Nicolas Otamendi's header a footnote. Argentine papers called it the lowest point of a golden generation — sixteen months before that generation started building the team that would win it all in 2022.
The scoreline that stuck
| Spain (6) | Argentina (1) |
|---|---|
| Isco ×3 | Nicolas Otamendi |
| Diego Costa | |
| Thiago Alcantara | |
| Iago Aspas |
Eight years on, the stage is bigger
Sunday brings the rematch that matters — with the trophy on the table. Argentina arrive as champions who beat Switzerland 3-1 and flipped England 2-1 with two goals in the last ten minutes. Spain arrive with the tournament's best defense: Belgium 2-1, France 2-0, barely threatened.
| Spain | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | 2-1 vs Belgium | 3-1 vs Switzerland |
| Semifinal | 2-0 vs France | 2-1 vs England |
| Last major meeting | Spain 6-1 (2018) | |
| Final | Sunday, July 19 — 3:00 p.m. ET, MetLife Stadium | |
The man who could only watch from the stands now walks out as a world champion captain with 8 goals in this tournament. Coverage guide: how to watch the final; the prediction model's number is in; the road here is mapped on our final bracket page.
Six goals in Madrid waited eight years for an answer. It comes Sunday, at MetLife.
