Mendieta backs Spain to edge Argentina in World Cup final

Spain will meet Argentina in Sunday's World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, with former Spain international Gaizka Mendieta predicting a 2-1 win for his country. The ex-Barcelona midfielder, speaking to talkSPORT, said he would have preferred to face England in the showpiece because Argentina are harder to plan for.

Spain reached the final with a 2-0 semi-final victory over France. Their defensive record has been the foundation of the run: they have conceded only once in the tournament, a header from Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere in a 2-1 quarter-final win. Mikel Oyarzabal has led the attack, linking play as well as scoring.

Mendieta's prediction

Mendieta argued that Spain's style is easier for opponents to prepare for, while Argentina mix approaches — short passing, long balls, crosses and set-pieces — around Lionel Messi. Asked for a scoreline, he went for 2-1 to Spain, adding that Messi and Lamine Yamal would both find the net and that goalkeeper Unai Simon would save a penalty.

• Spain beat France 2-0 to reach Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium
• Spain have conceded once all tournament — De Ketelaere's header in the 2-1 win over Belgium
• Mendieta predicts a 2-1 Spain victory, with goals from Messi and Yamal and a saved penalty
• Messi has missed two penalties at this World Cup and four in total across the competition
• Kylian Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race after scoring twice in the third-place play-off against England

Messi's record from the spot

Messi has already missed two penalties in this edition, in the 2-0 group-stage win over Austria and in the victory over Egypt. That made him the first player to miss two spot-kicks in a single World Cup, and he now has the most misses at the tournament (four) from the most attempts (eight). Despite that record, the source report suggests his Argentina team-mates are likely to keep him on penalty duty if a chance arises on Sunday.

The final will be Spain's chance to cap a campaign built on organisation, while Argentina chase a title constructed around their captain. Kick-off at MetLife Stadium is on Sunday, after which the Golden Boot race between Mbappe and the remaining finalists will also be settled.