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Good morning, I'm Dan Gartland. I'm still surprised that MLS and Fox didn't schedule a match to follow the World Cup final. Wouldn't it have made sense to leverage that enormous TV viewership to showcase the premier domestic soccer league?
In today's SI:AM:
🇪🇸 Spain stifles Argentina
⛳ British Open recap
⚾ Red Sox suddenly surging
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That was a letdown
There were undoubtedly millions of viewers who tuned in for yesterday's World Cup final and thought, "Right, this is exactly why I only watch this sport once every four years."
The 2026 World Cup will likely go down as one of the most captivating editions in the tournament's storied history, and hopefully soccer-curious American fans will hold onto memories of all the thrilling matches rather than the disappointing finale. Choosing the tournament's standout storyline or most memorable match is nearly impossible. Cabo Verde's underdog journey and their dramatic round of 32 clash with Argentina would be a strong contender. Argentina also mounted incredible comebacks against Egypt and England on their way to the final. England produced its own stunning turnaround in the round of 32 against DR Congo, then delivered an instant classic against co-host Mexico at the legendary Estadio Azteca before claiming a wild third-place match against France. Norway enjoyed their finest World Cup showing ever as Erling Haaland introduced himself to the North American audience as one of the game's elite players. The highlights go on and on.
Yet there's no escaping the fact that Spain and Argentina closed things out with a dull affair. Spain's reliance on short, intricate passing can be tedious to watch, and on Sunday it was paired with a completely toothless Argentina attack. The result was a grinding match in which Argentina didn't register their first shot attempt until the 117th minute. Fittingly, it was an effort from outside the box by Lionel Messi that struck a Spanish defender square in the face. Argentina's only other officially recorded attempt was a golden chance for Giuliano Simeone in the 122nd minute that sailed well over the crossbar. The previous record for the latest first shot attempt in a World Cup final was France's opening effort in the 68th minute of the 2022 final against Argentina. Spain didn't find the breakthrough until Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute, and La Roja held on to win, 1–0.
That's not to say the match lacked intrigue entirely. Spain's capacity to control a game is truly remarkable. We witnessed it in the semifinal against France, when La Roja completely neutralized the potent French attack in a 2–0 victory. Argentina had struggled at various points throughout the tournament, but it was still astonishing to watch Spain reduce the defending champions to such ineffectiveness.
That pattern defined Spain's entire tournament run, though. They conceded just one goal across eight matches: a header from Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere in a quarterfinal that Spain otherwise controlled. Spain outscored their opponents 14–1 throughout the competition and surrendered only 11 shots on target. It was as dominant a defensive display as any World Cup champion has ever produced.
For Argentina, it was a deflating conclusion to a remarkable campaign. This squad was clearly not on the same level as the one that claimed the trophy in 2022, yet it kept finding ways to advance—largely through Lionel Messi. The 39-year-old icon played a pivotal role in his side's comeback wins earlier in the competition, but he was largely a non-factor in the final. One has to wonder how much he had left in the tank after such a grueling tournament, and whether Spain could have dominated possession so thoroughly had Argentina deployed all 11 players defensively, rather than Messi conserving energy and waiting for the ball to find him. That's not a criticism of his inclusion—it's simply that Spain may have been a particularly awkward opponent for Argentina.
It was disappointing for such a spectacular tournament to conclude with such a forgettable match, but hopefully it won't leave a bitter aftertaste for casual fans. After all, this year's Super Bowl was equally underwhelming, and no one has sworn off football because of it.
The best of Sports Illustrated
The top five…
… things I saw yesterday:
5. Cathal O'Neill's goal for Limerick in the other major championship of the day: the All-Ireland hurling final.
4. Nolan Arenado's game-tying home run for the Diamondbacks after they trailed the Cardinals, 7–0. Arizona went on to win in 10 innings on a walk-off double by Max Kepler.
3. William Contreras's epic bat flip after a walk-off, two-run homer. (I loved how he glanced up to make sure it wasn't going to come back down on his head.)
2. Ryan Fox's clutch birdie putt on the final hole to claim the British Open. Fox, 39, had never previously finished higher than 16th at a major.
1. The Spanish TV call of Ferran Torres's winning goal.
Dan Gartland authors Sports Illustrated's flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and hosts the "Stadium Wonders" video series. He joined the SI team in 2014, after previously being published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a Fordham University graduate, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).