A supercomputer predicts the outcome of the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

Reigning champions Argentina and Europe's formidable representative are expected to conclude the planet's biggest football festival with a high-level match, thereby determining the owner of the prestigious golden trophy.

Spain, under the guidance of coach Luis de la Fuente, enters the final match with highly convincing form. In the semifinals, "La Roja" defeated France 2-0 with a display full of composure. Before that, the Iberian Peninsula representatives also successively overcame Austria 3-0, beat Portugal 1-0, and defeated Belgium 2-1 on their path to the final.

Meanwhile, Lionel Scaloni's Argentina also showcased the resilience of the defending champions. In the semifinals, the Tango nation overturned a deficit to defeat England 2-1 and earn a spot in the final match. Along the way, Argentina also edged past Cape Verde 3-2, beat Egypt 3-2, and defeated Switzerland 3-1 in the knockout rounds.

Before kickoff, an artificial intelligence (AI) model has made a prediction for the final result after analyzing over 30 different factors related to the two teams. The supercomputer compiled and evaluated a range of data such as form, squad quality, attacking efficiency, defensive capability, head-to-head history, and numerous tactical parameters to simulate the scenario of the tournament's most important match.

According to the AI simulation results, Argentina will successfully defend their World Cup title, thereby securing a second consecutive world championship following their triumph in Qatar 2022. The model forecasts that this will be an extremely balanced final, where the gap between the two teams is almost negligible, and victory will be decided only by pivotal moments.

Specifically, the supercomputer predicts that Argentina will defeat Spain 1-0, but the goal will not come during the 90 minutes of regular time. The two teams are expected to be tied 0-0 after regulation before the defending champions make the difference in extra time to claim the title.

Notably, the supercomputer also identified the three most likely candidates to score the decisive goal for Argentina: Lautaro Martinez, Alexis Mac Allister, or Jose Lopez.

One of these three names is predicted to become the hero, providing the goal that helps the Albiceleste overcome Spain, thereby winning the World Cup for the fourth time in history and further cementing their status as one of the greatest football nations in the world.