It will be a clash of styles in New York New Jersey as take on in the . La Roja will look to use patient possession to unpick the Albiceleste defence and nullify their offensive firepower, meanwhile Argentina will play through maestro Lionel Messi as they throw everything into winning their second World Cup in a row. With the final just days away, FIFA examines the highest-rated players in each of the to give fans greater insight into how the showpiece might play out.
Football fans around the world have marvelled at Lionel Messi's attacking capabilities for over two decades, so it should come as no surprise that the Argentina No10 is deemed the greatest Attacking threat in the FIFA Power Rankings. Second only to Kylian Mbappe, Messi (8.62) leads the way by a clear margin among the players disputing the World Cup Final.
The next closest attacking threat according to the numbers is Albiceleste semi-final hero Lautaro Martinez (6.66), followed closely by La Roja centre-forward Mikel Oyarzabal (6.56) and Spain super sub Mikel Merino (6.47). Spain teenage sensation Lamine Yamal (5.90) is in the mix alongside Argentina goalscorer Julian Alvarez (5.28) and a pair of playmakers also score highly: Spain's Fabian Ruiz (5.57) and Argentina's Enzo Fernandez (6.03).
It's a case of data confirming what our eyes already knew to be true in the Creativity category, as Messi (8.41) leads with the highest overall mark, followed by his Barcelona heir apparent Lamine Yamal (7.46).
With both finalists emphasizing ball possession and attacking chances, it is no surprise to find a raft of attacking players scoring highly in this category. Dani Olmo (7.30) is the best of the rest, followed closely by team-mates Alex Baena (6.97) and Fabian Ruiz (6.45). For Argentina, midfield stalwarts Rodrigo De Paul (6.30) and Enzo Fernandez (6.01) score well, as does electric substitute Nico Gonzalez (6.11) who regularly enters the pitch to give the Albiceleste energy and attacking flair from the wing in the dying minutes of matches.
Heading into the final, it's Spain captain Rodri (8.03) who sits atop the defensive power rankings for the entire competition. He is followed closely by semi-final goalscorer Pedro Porro (7.70) and teenage centre-back Pau Cubarsi (7.50). Aymeric Laporte (7.29) is Spain's fourth best rated player in the defending category, but he still ranks inside the top 10 overall, a testament to Spain's outstanding defensive performance this tournament, having conceded just once en route to the final.
For the Albiceleste, centre-back Cristian Romero (7.34) is the only player within the overall top 10. Midfield metronome Leandro Paredes (6.72) is the next highest rated Argentina player in the defending category, followed by Nicolas Otamendi (6.23) and Nahuel Molina (6.21).
Sources: FIFA Official
