Key events
“Bob,” writes Mac Millings. “I’m still not over England’s collapse on Wednesday, yesterday didn’t cheer me up, and the lack of action in this game ain’t helping, either – making this the perfect time to present my All-Time Frustration and Annoyance XI.
Tony You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me-ola
Unbelievabel Xavier
Nathan FF sAké
Serginho Pest
Gonzal Oh, Come Mon! tiel
John Terryble
Bobby I Can’t Take Any Moore
Denzel Damnfries
Pau Cubarsey
Ryan Aggravationberch
Lamine Your Mum
More half-time emails
“I love that Rodri plays with his shirt tucked in. Class (am I showing my age?)” – Norman Guy.
“The 19th-minute entry, a good example of total $hit. I guess this is an in joke. Pity I have no idea what it is talking about. Sorry I have other things in my life” – Steve Taylor.
“How big is your TV screen? Can you post a picture of yourself please? I am a Guardian fan, though” – Annu.
Half-time postbag
“Ah, I see they’re showing the muppets. And also Jim Henson’s famous creations, etc” – James Humphries.
“Can’t they have a two-hour concert with a penalty shoot-out at half-time, instead of this dross. Much more of this will cause me to lose the will to live. Out, at least, the will to carry on watching” – Asia Narcizo.
“Yamal did not take his chance and the game has grinded into a scrappy match-up. Super Merino will be the one to win this game for Spain. He’s the one who can unlock this game” – Imad Sabi.
“Spain must be a nightmare to play against, like being suffocated by a boa constrictor. As its victim breathes out, the snake tightens the grip, making it more and more difficult to breathe. When Spain advance, they occupy every bit of space their opponents leave unguarded. It’s undoubtedly impressive, but hard to warm to as a neutral” – Kári Tulinius.
“Do we name this the bathtub derby” – Krishnamoorthy V.
“At a watch party for refugees in our community in the Pacific Northwest, and every time Lamine Yamal touches the ball everyone under the age of 20 goes berserk. Messi will draw more attention in the second half, to be sure, but I think it’s hard to underestimate the enthusiasm he has within the Muslim youth community in particular…” – Chris Amirault.
“Your referencing Barry Davies’ commentary from that ‘91 FA Cup Spurs Arsenal semi-final makes me think of my favourite Davies line from that game, after Lee Dixon had upended (I think) the late Justin Edinburgh. ‘Well, if Lee Dixon’s had a worse-timed tackle this season I’m glad I didn’t see it. That really is a dreadful tackle for an international full-back’” – Martin Gamage.
“I’d like to reassure Niall Mullen about the credibility of this World Cup. As the great TV philosopher G. Costanza once said: It’s not a lie if you believe it” – Giovanni Cafagna.
Updated at 16.18 EDT
Half-time entertainment
Those of you who followed our liveblog of Switzerland v Canada may remember a charming half-time poem written by Ollie, aged. 12. I’m delighted to say he’s written another poem for the final.
double quotation markWhat a sensational World Cup!
Two more games to wrap it up.
48 teams, now down to four.
Football’s Big Apple munched down to the core.
Argentina v Spain for World Cup glory!
To finally end this thrilling story.
Messi’s on the for the Golden Boot
But will Yamal finally score that beaut?
In the semis, Spain made France look poor.
They managed to shut out that deadly front four.
Spain’s midfield held on to the ball
And Mbappé just couldn’t answer the call.
Meanwhile, in the other game,
Thomas Tuchel took some blame
For putting five in at the back
When we really needed to attack!
England’s run ended in tears
To the deafening sound of Argentine cheers.
Rooney, Hart and Richards dismayed
But admired the way that Messi played.
Right now I feel I need a day off
To recover from that third place play-off.
What a game! Jude’s skills were sick!
That banger from Rice! Bukayo’s hat-trick!
Spain v Argentina: the biggest match this year!
Hopefully it brings us lots to cheer.
Who will win it? I don’t know…
Please just give us a hell of a show!
He means the football, Gianni.
Updated at 16.09 EDT
It’s time for the half-time show. I’m going to to take a break but you can follow it all with the great Tom Lutz. See you back here in a couple of hours for the second half.
Yes, this is actually happening. Photograph: Michael Regan/FIFA/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.08 EDT
Half time: Spain 0-0 Argentina
A forgettable first half in New Jersey. Argentina had no corners, no attempts at goal and no touches in the opposition area. Spain were much better in general play but struggled to create clear chances. It doesn’t help that the pitch is dreadful.
Updated at 16.09 EDT
45+2 min “Telegram from the Department Of The Bleeding Obvious, but this match is crying out for a goal, as that will surely open it up,” writes Guy Hornsby. “Spain have all the possession and momentum, despite the stop/start nature so far. A goal feels likely from only one team too, but how many times has that blown up in our know-it-all faces, Rob?”
At last count, 714141325235234590.
Updated at 15.55 EDT
45+1 min “Hello from a packed bar in NYC which I thought was leaning Argentina but has slowly revealed itself to be going for Spain,” writes Rachel Clifton. “Trump and/or Infantino getting booed hard every time they are on screen.”
It’s not their fault the first half has been crap!
Updated at 15.55 EDT
45 min Four minutes of added time.
44 min: Argentina substitution Nicolas Otamendi replaces Lisandro Martinez, who has pulled something and needs to go off. To go off injured in a World Cup final must be devastating for any footballer. Martinez, tough as old boots, is impassive as he limps round the touchline.
Lisandro Martinez goes off injured. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PAShare
Updated at 15.55 EDT
43 min Cucurella uses the overlapping Baena by not using him – hat tip Barry Davies – and has a pop from the edge of the area. It rolls a few yards wide of the far post.
Spain have been the better team, no question, but Argentina will be comfortable with how little Emi Martinez has had to do. The deeper this goes, the more Argentina winning mentalty will kick in. They’ve got the collective will of Keyser Soze.
42 min I knew they shouldn’t have bothered with the football.
41 min De Paul has a cross blocked by Cucurella after a relatively rare Argentina attack. Spain break and Lisandro Martinez is booked for an entirely cynical foul on Oyarzabal. Might as well get it out of the way.
Updated at 15.48 EDT
39 min Baena’s quick pass forward is stabbed round the corner by Fabian Ruiz. Olmo dummies it – what a lovely player he is – and Oyarzabal drives a low shot from 20 yards is comfortably saved by Emi Martinez. He didn’t quite get hold of it.
Mikel Oyarzabal has a decent effort on goal easily stopped by Emi Martinez. Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersShare
Updated at 15.50 EDT
38 min “I’ve got a theory that if it wasn’t for his hair, Cucurella would be more widely recognised as a mostly very calm, solid defender,” writes James Humphries. “Case in point: he cleared up that dodgy ball from Porro very neatly, but because of his barnet it looked like a spaniel hurling itself enthusiastically into a river in pursuit of a tennis ball. You watch, if he gets a short back and sides and becomes a manager it’ll all be unfussy, sort the defence out and the rest will follow solidity.”
There’s definitely something in that. It’s probably both his hair and his hair-trigger temper, but he’s a seriously good player.
Updated at 15.45 EDT
36 min It’s a pretty bitty game. I was going to say that suits Argentina more than Spain, but after Wednesday I’m not so sure.
35 min “I think you’re being a bit modest after tipping Spain to win it all along,” says Andrew Goudie. “Did you ever have any doubts?”
Do I look like somebody who is susceptible to crushing doubt, whose entire existence has been defined by it? Do I?
33 min Don’t shoot the messenger, but this is rubbish.
28 min The match is back under way, and with any luck we’ll have some excitement in the second quarter.
Rodri gets closed down by Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Julian Alvarez AND Alexis Mac Allister. Argentina are pressing anything that moves. Photograph: James Lang/IMAGN IMAGES/ReutersShare
Updated at 15.41 EDT
26 min Here’s something to read during the hydration break. Reading is good for the soul.
25 min Time for the ad break.
24 min Messi beats Rodri with a delightful touch and is pulled back. Rodri could easily have been booked for that, but he wasn’t so what’s your point?
22 min Yamal’s early shot remains the only attempt at goal, on or off target, by either side. Possession is roughly 63:37 in Spain’s favour (sources vary).
Updated at 15.32 EDT
21 min It’s not a classic, folks. But nor was the 2022 final at this stage and look how what turned out.
19 min Argentina are starting to leave a bit on some of the Spain players. Nothing extreme, just the occasional reminder that physical contact has the capacity to be uncomfortable.
19 min “A shaky start for Scotland,” says Simon McMahon, “but just wait until Mac Allister gets going…”
Jose Luis Brown scored in the 23rd minute of the 1986 final, so keep ‘em peeled.
Scotland’s Argentina’s Jose Luis Brown scores the opening goal in the 1986 World Cup final. Photograph: PA Images/AlamyShare
Updated at 15.33 EDT
17 min De Paul’s driven free-kick just evades Gonzalez, who timed his run well and was in on goal. The angle made it tough for De Paul to play a pass like that.
Updated at 15.28 EDT
15 min Messi receives a pass 45 yards from goal and is eased to the canvas by Baena. Apparently that was his second touch of the game.
Updated at 15.22 EDT
14 min Olmo rolls around after being fouled by the lunging Mac Allister near the halfway line. Not a great tackle, though not as bad as the reaction of the Spain bench suggested. The referee decides against a yellow card.
Dani Olmo gets a late one from Alexis Mac Allister. Photograph: Carlos Barría/ReutersShare
Updated at 15.29 EDT
14 min Messiwatch: nothing much apart from that Unai Simon interception. He’s quiet, too darned quiet, etc.
13 min “There have been so many innovations in this World Cup,” writes Niall Mullen. “The match countdown; the advertising breaks; the Friday night at ‘spoons music; the political interference; the interminable celebrity cut-away shots; the scandalous treatment of some teams, fans, and one referee; the dynamic pricing; the half-time show, the god awful rings; and the gnawing sense that unaccountable people have corrupted beyond recognition the thing you love in service of their own power and wealth while laughing at the stupidity of your inelastic demand.
“On the plus side…”
12 min Fabian Ruiz’s cross from the left is turned behind a little awkwardly by Lisandro Martinez. Spain are dominating possession now; they look so relaxed, as if they’re playing a pre-season friendly or something.
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Jacob Steinberg
10 min The pitch looks terrible and is playing weirdly. The ball is bobbling loads. Needs a watering during the hydration break.
9 min That Emi Martinez save was better than I first realised. He was diving to his right when the ball deflected off Lisandro Martinez, but he adjusted his feet very quickly to block it. Yamal didn’t quite get hold of the shot though.
8 min Spain are into their work now, with and without the ball. Their pressing is outstanding.
Share5 min: Chance for Lamine Yamal!
Spain almost score with their first attack. Yamal’s deflected pass infield reaches Olmo, who slips it neatly back towards the charging Yamal. His shot takes a deflection and is saved to his right by Emi Martinez.
Argentina break and Unai Simon runs 40 yards from goal to beat Messi to Alvarez’s through ball. He unwittingly plays the ball straight back to Alvarez, who is unable to control it. Had he done so, Simon may well have had to watch the ball sail over him and into the net.
Lamine Yamal has an early effort for a lively Spain. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images Photograph: Ashley Landis/APShare
Updated at 15.20 EDT
3 min Argentina have had most of the ball in the first few minutes. Nothing dangerous, nothing vicious, but their players will feel better for having some assured touches early on.
2 min “I just want to get this over with,” says Charles Antaki. “I don’t mind who wins (actually I do very much mind who wins), so long as Emi ‘Mr Antics’ Martínez makes some hilarious blunder, preferably resulting in an own goal. Also: take your pick of any of the less Queensberry rules Argentinian players getting sent off. Yes I know this is a deeply unsporting position, thanks.”
For the avoidance of doubt, and before anyone peppers my inbox, I couldn’t care less who wins.
1 min Six minutes later than advertised, Argentina kick off from right to left as we watch.
Some red-faced bampot is shouting. Any chance of some football?
“Rodri and Nico Williams are the two Welshest-sounding players in the whole tournament,” says Matt Dony. “So, come on, Spain!”
The two captains Rodri and Lionel Messi shake hands in the centre circle. We’re only four minutes late, which in the circumstances represents a minor triumph.
“Nice New Jersey tribute from Robbie Williams,” writes my colleague Gregg Bakowski, “what with him coming dressed as Paulie Walnuts and all.”
Oh!!!!
Paulie Walnuts was a loyal solider to Tony Soprano. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty ImagesShare
The footballers of Spain and Argentina (remember them?) are in the tunnel. I suppose a delayed kick-off in the World Cup final is nothing new; remember Rene van de Kerkhof’s bandage in 1978? Or was it Willy?
Updated at 14.57 EDT
Now Tom Cruise is out on the pitch, telling us that football “turns strangers into friends”. I’d like to hear him proffer that opinion on a football special circa 1982.
A surprising speech on the disastrous ID Card scheme proposed by the Thatcher Government in the 1980’s by Tom Cruise. Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/APShare
Updated at 15.07 EDT
“It’s a bit of a surprise,” writes Tim Woods, “that Folarin Balogun hasn’t made either of the starting line ups.”
We’ll be updating this little beauty throughout the day
“I’m provisionally giving this tournament a solid six out of ten, rising to seven if the final is a classic,” writes Simon McMahon. “VAR checks and interventions from the leader of the free world notwithstanding, of course. I fancy Scotland strongly to bring it home tonight and no, I’m not still drunk after Dundee United channelled prime Pep’s Barcelona when spanking Arbroath 3-0 at Tannadice last night in the Scottish League Cup. May the best team win! Bring on the hydration breaks! Come on Scotland!”
Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger are now singing on stage. I thought they might sing ‘Desire’ so it’s a major surprise to hear Robbie launch into his verse from Punk’s Dead by Soft Play.
Sadly no ‘Rock DJ/Don’t Cha medley. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 14.54 EDT
Never mind a delayed kick-off. Do we really need to bother with the game? Why should football get in the way a perfectly good festival of star-spangled horse pucky?
The second closing ceremony (sic) is late, and there is already speculation that the kick-off time will be delayed. Football: it’s one big beautiful game.
“Kudos on the biggest gig in the MBM calendar,” writes Daniel Barnett. “As per Sid’s piece on hot chocolate and croissants, can you talk us through your pre-match ritual? Any special foodstuffs or superstitions? Or just plenty of Tin? Good luck!”
I’m not sure anybody needs a peek behind that particular curtain.
Live shot of the Guardian offices. Photograph: TwitterShare
Updated at 14.50 EDT
ITV are reporting that there are growing queues outside the ground due to a glitch in the ticketing system. Great stuff.
Updated at 14.50 EDT
With apologies for any tone-lowering, perceived or actual, here’s a bit of news from the England camp.
Thirteen of the past 14 World Cup and European Championship finals – men’s and women’s – have been won by the side who played their semi-final first. On the other occasion the semi-finals were played on the same day. Spain’s men started the streak, beating Italy 4-0 in the final of Euro 2012. Argentina have also benefited, enjoying four days rest to France’s three going into the 2022 final. This time it is Spain who have had an extra day’s rest.