Three World Cup titles, the best players from Europe against the best from South America, Andrés Iniesta versus Lionel Messi and the encounter between two of the candidates to lift the world’s football most prestigious trophy this summer in Russia. These are the main features of the great international clash between Spain and Argentina to be played next March 27th. at the whole new Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Spain and Argentina arrive to this FIFA match trying to consolidate mechanisms of play at the highest level when we are just two and a half months away from the World Cup. Without hesitation this is one of the best tests Spain (world champions in South Africa 2010) and Argentina (world champions in Argentina 1978 and Mexico 1986) can face in order to set up every aspect before the great moment in which they will fight to relive old glories in Russian soil.
Talking about great moments the estelar man of this clash will be, as usual, Lionel Messi. The Argentine genius has won the reputation of being the all-time best player as he has given us the most fantastic performances that have ever been seen. However, after loosing Brazil 2014 Final against Germany (2-1 a.e.t.) Messi’s critics in Argentina still demand him to win a World Cup to obtain their unanimous recognition. Therefore, this match against Spain will be the perfect time for the FC Barcelona man to realize how his feelings are in the international spot just a few weeks away from his biggest challenge with the Albiceleste.
On the other hand, Spain looks like one of the maximum candidates to achieve, eight years later, the greatest honor in sports. Julen Lopetegui has done an excellent job while doing the transition from the Vicente del Bosque’s era and the Roja is back in the elite after a disappointing tittle defense in Brazil 2014 (eliminated in the Group Stage) and an inconspicuous France 2016 Euro. Actually by winning their World Cup qualifying group Lopetegui’s men got revenge against Italy, who had knocked the Roja out from the last European Cup of Nations in the Round of 16, and sent the Azzurri to the fateful European play-off where they would fall eliminated by Sweden, which means the World Cup four time holders will be out from the great tournament for the first time in 60 years (Sweden 1958 coincidentally).
Statistics between Spain and Argentina major teams cannot be more equal. Both Spanish and Argentines have clashed in 13 occasions with six wins for the Albiceleste, five victories for the Roja and just two draws. The only time they face each other in an official match was in the England 1966 World Cup Group Stage where the South American giants beat José Villalonga’s team by 2-1 in the Villa Park of Birmingham.
Coming back to the contemporary era, Messi has been dominant against Spain in the last two games Argentina faced Spain scoring in both games. In the last precedent between them Leo contributed with the opener in the 4-1 victory of the Sergio Batista’s side against the brand new world champions on September 7th., 2010. In the most recent match in Spanish soil between both world powerhouses the Rosario native set the transitive equalizer for Maradona’s Argentina in a 2-1 Spain victory on November 14th., 2009 in the Estadio Vicente Calderón of Madrid.
This March 27th. Spain and Argentina face each other in the home of Atlético de Madrid, as they did nine years ago, but now they do it in a whole new dazzling scenery, the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. The majestic world football new cathedral will be baptized in the international stage with this giants encounter and Footy Legend gives you the golden chance to witness which side prevails in this intercontinental classic confrontation with FIFA World Cup, Russia 2018, just around the corner.
