The first half of the 2026 World Cup final between the Spanish national team and Argentina ended goalless at the New York Stadium, New Jersey, United States on Monday.
Spain seemed to dominate possession and kept Argentina in their own half.
Spain looked more threatening from the start. The first clear opportunity came in the fifth minute through Lamine Yamal.
Yamal's one-two with Dani Olmo was immediately met by a shot from inside the penalty area. However, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was able to catch the ball.
Argentina only began to find their rhythm midway through the first half. In the 22nd minute, Lionel Messi found space to counter-attack and sent a perfect through ball to Nico Gonzalez on the edge of the penalty area.
Unfortunately, Gonzalez's first touch was less than perfect, so the opportunity was wasted and secured by the Spanish back line.
The match was a game with few chances. In fact, Messi only had two touches in the first 20 minutes, his fewest number of touches in a World Cup match as a starter.
