Spain go into Sunday’s final unbeaten in seven matches, with six wins and a single draw against Cape Verde in their opening game.
Their defining number is defensive, just one goal conceded across the entire tournament, a record built around Rodri, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi and Unai Simon, and one that has already helped Spain claim the tournament’s best defensive record by a distance.
Their attacking numbers back up their dominance too. Spain lead the tournament for expected goals and average the most progressive passes per game of any side to have played at least five matches.
It can be seen as an evolution in Spain’s traditional style, moving from pure possession football toward a sharper, more vertical approach that still creates chances at pace.
Mikel Oyarzabal has led the goalscoring column, including a brace against Austria in the round of 32, while Mikel Merino has proven the man for the biggest moments, scoring the winning goals against both Portugal and Belgium in the knockout rounds.
Lamine Yamal, at just 19, remains one of the tournament’s most watched names, though he has yet to register a goal or assist in the knockout stage specifically, a quiet stretch by his own standards after a group stage that announced him as one of Spain’s most important players.
Spain’s composure throughout the tournament has been built as much on what they have prevented as what they have created, and Sunday will be the ultimate test of whether that formula holds against Argentina’s firepower.
Photo: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
