Matt Calkins: Argentina-Spain can put finishing touches on the best World Cup ever

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Jul 18, 2026

Published in Soccer

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SEATTLE — I remember watching a sports-panel show after Tiger Woods made a long birdie putt to win the 2008 Arnold Palmer Invitational — a non-major — and they were arguing whether that was Woods’ greatest tournament ever. I also remember reading a column after Manny Ramirez hit a seventh-inning home run in July, with the author declaring it the third-best Dodgers dinger ever.

Hey, we’re sports writers — and we have a tendency to view the latest big thing as the greatest big thing. So even taking that into account, this still feels like the best World Cup ever.

This, of course, is written before Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain. History’s greatest undercard loses its luster if the main event is a dud.

But what hasn’t this tournament had?

Star power? Check. France’s Kylian Mbappé, perhaps the best scorer today, had 10 goals in this World Cup (albeit two coming in the third-place game.) Argentina’s Lionel Messi — whose GOAT card has been forever laminated — has eight goals to go along with four assists. Next are Norway’s Erling Haaland and England’s Jude Bellingham (seven each), and England’s Harry Kane and France’s Ousmane Dembele with six.

For reference, the World Cup leader had six in 2018 with second place scoring four goals. That four of the most recognizable faces in soccer are topping this list is like a golf leaderboard with the four top-ranked players in the final two groups. Just adds so much to the intrigue.

Drama? Check. And in just about every capacity. Not everybody loved the idea of expanding the field to 48 teams and the knockout rounds to 32. But if FIFA could have run 1,000 simulations for how these knockout rounds could have gone, I’m not sure many would have surpassed what we witnessed.

It has had underdogs such as Paraguay eliminating Germany in penalty kicks in what may have been the upset of the tournament. It has had tiny programs clashing with titanic ones — like when Cape Verde went toe-to-toe with Argentina in a game that featured three extra-time goals before the Argentines’ 3-2 victory. It’s had this-can’t-be-real-life comebacks. Morocco scored in the 91st minute to tie the Netherlands in the round of 32 before winning in PKs. There was Belgium scoring in the 86th and 89th minute to tie Senegal in the round of 32 before winning it during extra-time stoppage time. Argentina came from two goals down to knock out Egypt. Then, it tied England in the 85th minute of the semifinals before going ahead in the 92nd of their 2-1 win. There might be another 10 instant classics I’m leaving out. You know this. You saw this.

Just like you saw the controversies.

Paraguay probably would have gone home early if Video Assistant Referee didn’t disallow a Germany goal after ruling a German defender had fouled Paraguay’s goalkeeper. Perhaps Argentina doesn’t advance if an Egypt goal isn’t taken off the board after VAR ruled there was an Egyptian foul long before that score. And then, of course, there was USA striker Folarin Balogun getting his red card suspended after President Donald Trump made a call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, asking for a review.

This probably didn’t help the U.S. men’s national team’s popularity in the world’s eye — but the popularity of sports are built on two factors: physical excellence and storylines. Controversy only amplifies the latter.

Still, even before that final U.S. game — when debates about Balogun’s eligibility were swirling — I saw hundreds of thousands of people in Seattle marching around in red, white and blue. Few would argue that our country isn’t divided, but the way it rallied around the USMNT produced a jolt of patriotism not seen in years.

Maybe an American views this World Cup’s place in history differently than other citizens of the world. The way people have flooded stadium after stadium, city after city has been inspiring. The videos that came out of foreigners expressing adoration for our country (Costco’s a huge hit) have been endearing. It’s had it all.

Save for a historic final.

Sunday at noon, the two highest-ranked teams in the world will compete for the World Cup title. And on the Argentine side is the 39-year-old Messi, looking to conclude one of the most improbable runs of his legendary career.

Maybe a classic cements this World Cup as the best we’ve ever seen. Or maybe, just maybe, that’s already the case.