Has this century’s World Cup final become boring?
The World Cup is the biggest football carnival. For four weeks, it gives us everything: last minute winners, giant kills, penalty shootout heartbreak and moments that live forever. Then comes the finale. More often than not, the biggest football match becomes a game of survival. Flair is giving way to caution, offensive intent is giving way, and both teams are spending more time trying not to lose than trying to win.
The most recent example was Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina in 2026. After a drama-filled tournament, the final was decided by a single extra-time goal from Ferran Torres against an Argentina side that barely threatened. Lionel Messi’s dream of signing for concurrent World Cups didn’t end in a blaze of glory, but in a match that never reached the heights from the weeks leading up to it.
It’s becoming a familiar pattern. The FIFA World Cup continues to deliver memorable matches, but the finals increasingly struggle to match the excitement of the tournament itself. Since 2002, four finals have gone to extra time, two have been decided on penalties and three have ended 1-0 after 120 minutes. Only France’s 4-2 win over Croatia in 2018 a extraordinary final 2022 between Argentina and France bucked the trend. The final match often becomes a battle of nerves, where it is more important to avoid a decisive error than to produce a decisive moment.
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It’s not hard to see why. When two teams reach the final of the World Cup, there are no secrets left. Every passing move was explored, every weakness exposed and every standard situation rehearsed. The closer the trophy gets, the harder it is to take risks. One careless pass or one lapse in concentration can undo a month’s worth of work.
That’s why the 2022 final was so special. Argentina looked certain to lift the trophy before Kylian Mbappe scored twice in 97 seconds to drag France back into the contest. Lionel Messi restored Argentina’s lead in extra time, only for Mbappe to complete his hat-trick and force a penalty. It was chaotic, unpredictable and breathtaking from start to finish, bucking almost every trend that had defined World Cup finals in the previous two decades.
To understand how this trend has evolved, it’s worth revisiting every World Cup final this century.
2002: Brazil 2-0 Germany (Yokohama)
Ronaldo scored twice in the final against Germany (Photo Reuters)
One of the few finals of this century that is remembered more for the football than the caution.
Four years after illness overshadowed his 1998 finals, Ronaldo completed one of the game’s great redemption stories when he scored both goals as Brazil lifted a record fifth World Cup. Germany took the brilliance of Oliver Kahn all the way to Yokohama, but there was no Brazilian side built around Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. A fitting ending for the tournament’s most watched team.
2006: Italy 1-1 France (Italy won 5-3 on penalties, Berlin)
Marco Matterazi from Italy at the World Cup (Photo Reuters)
This one will forever be remembered for a single moment. Zinedine Zidane’s strike on Marco Materazzi in the very last game of his career is one of the defining images in World Cup history. Earlier, Zidane had given France the lead with an embarrassing chipped penalty, but Materazzi equalized with a high header. Neither side found a winner in the two hours that followed and Italy held their nerve in the shootout to lift a fourth World Cup while Italian football was still sorting through the wreckage of the Calciopoli scandal.
2010: Spain 1-0 Netherlands, after extra time (Johannesburg)
Andres Iniesta lifts the 2010 World Cup (Photo Reuters)
Few finales have captured the tension of the occasion quite like this one, and some would say for the wrong reasons. The football was broken, the tackle reckless and referee Howard Webb handed out a then World Cup record 14 yellow cards before sending off Netherlands defender John Heiting in extra time. Nigel de Jong somehow avoided a red card for plunging his boot into Xabi Alonso’s chest, a decision still debated today. The breakthrough finally came in the 116th minute when Andres Iniesta collected a pass from Cesc Fabregas and drilled it past Maarten Stekelenburg to hand Spain their first World Cup. It’s not a classic by any means, but it never lacked tension.
2014: Germany 1:0 Argentina, after extra time (Rio de Janeiro)
Lionel Messi lost the first World Cup final in which he appeared (Photo Reuters)
Four years and almost the same story. Argentina had better chances in normal time. Gonzalo Higuain stretched after a clean through and Messi curled another just wide of the far post early in the second half. Germany remained patient and finally got it. Andre Schurrle’s cross was beautifully deflected onto the chest by Mario Gotze, who volleyed past Sergio Romero in the 113th minute. Germany became the first European team to win the World Cup in the Americas, in a tournament remembered as much for its 7-1 mauling of Brazil as the final itself.
2018: France 4-2 Croatia (Moscow)
French Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe (Photo Reuters)
Finally a finale that really came to life. France went ahead through Mario Mandzukic’s own goal before Ivan Perisic equalized with a fine finish. Antoine Griezmann restored France’s lead from the spot after VAR ruled Perisic had handled it, and Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe then put daylight between the sides before Mandzukic punished a mistake by Hugo Lloris to pull one back. There was no way back for Croatia after that, but the match remains the highest-scoring final since 1966 and one of the most entertaining in the modern era.
2022: Argentina 3-3 France (Argentina won 4-2 on penalties, Lusail)
Then came the finale, which completely tore the script apart. For most of the 80 minutes, Argentina were in complete control. Messi and Angel Di Maria led 2-0 and France were running out of ideas. Then Kylian Mbappe turned the whole thing on its head. Two goals in 97 seconds pulled France level and forced extra time. Messi thought he had won it with a 108th-minute strike, only for Mbappe to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot. Gonzalo Montiel eventually held his nerve in the shootout to hand Argentina their third World Cup in what many say is the biggest final the tournament has ever produced. Maybe that’s why it stands alone.
2026: Spain 1-0 Argentina, after extra time (New Jersey)
If Qatar was football at its most chaotic, 2026 has returned things to boring normalcy. Spain were in control almost from the first whistle: well over 60 per cent possession, almost double Argentina’s passing and a 20-2 advantage in shots at the end. And yet it took 106 minutes to find our way. Finally, Ferran Torres got the goal, who poked home from close range after further Spanish pressure. Emiliano Martnez kept Argentina in it with shot after save, but even he didn’t last forever. Argentina, down to ten men after Enzo Fernandez’s second yellow, failed to manage a single shot on goal all night. Messi, playing what was expected to be his final World Cup game, found rare space and even fewer opportunities to change the game. Spain were worthy winners, but the score told a familiar story. Another final was decided by a single goal. Another dragged into extra time before the tiniest moment separated the two sides.
WHY THIS TREND?
Spain’s win over Argentina was not unusual. If anything, it felt familiar. The World Cup still gives us four weeks of stunning goals, shock results and unforgettable moments, but once the final arrives, the game often changes. The stakes are so high that both teams stop thinking about the show and start thinking only about lifting the trophy.
The trend is hard to ignore. Four of the last eight World Cup finals have gone beyond 90 minutes, two have gone to penalties and three have ended 1-0 after extra time. Since 2002, only two finals have actually produced goals from start to finish: France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in 2018 and Argentina’s memorable penalty shoot-out win over France after a 3-3 draw in 2022. Every other final has been a thrilling, low-scoring affair where chances came at a premium.
Spain’s victory over Argentina in 2026 fit this pattern perfectly. Luis de la Fuente’s side dominated from the opening whistle, finishing with 20 shots to Argentina’s two, 65 percent possession and an expected goals (xG) of 1.94 compared to Argentina’s 0.22. The defending champions failed to register a single shot on target, yet Spain had to wait until extra-time before Ferran Torres finally broke the deadlock. The score indicated a close game. The match itself told something else.
However, caution has never stopped the World Cup final from producing memorable moments. Zidane’s header in Berlin, Iniesta’s winner in Johannesburg, Gotze’s chest and volley at the Maracana and Lionel Messi finally lifting the trophy in Lusail are all woven into football history. They stand out because they arrived in matches where every meaningful moment carried enormous weight. When chances are rare, one piece of brilliance or one lapse of concentration becomes memorable.
That’s why the 2022 final was so special. Argentina looked certain to lift the trophy before Kylian Mbappe scored twice in 97 seconds to drag France back into the contest. Messi restored Argentina’s lead in extra time, only for Mbappe to complete his hat-trick and force a penalty. It was chaotic, unpredictable and breathtaking from start to finish. More importantly, it broke almost every trend that had defined World Cup finals in the previous two decades.
Maybe that’s the real answer. A World Cup final doesn’t have to be boring. They have become competitions where winning is much more important than having fun. Modern football rewards organisation, discipline and control, and nowhere are these qualities more important than in the biggest game of all.
Ironically, the World Cup itself has rarely been more entertaining. Each tournament produces new heroes, unforgettable upsets and matches remembered for generations. However, when there are only two teams left, the game almost always slows down. The fear of loss begins to outweigh the desire to have fun.
Spain’s victory over Argentina in 2026 did not start and will not end this trend. It simply became the latest reminder that the World Cup’s biggest drama often occurs en route to the final. By the time the trophy is within reach, football’s biggest event usually becomes the most cautious.
And maybe it’s the price of size. The World Cup final is not designed to entertain neutrals. He exists to crown a champion.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
21 Jul 2026 08:40 IST