Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has complained to FIFA about the scheduling of Sunday's World Cup final, arguing his side face a disadvantage against Spain because they were given less time to recover.
The defending champions beat England 2-1 in Wednesday's semi-final in Atlanta. Late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez cancelled out Anthony Gordon's opener and sent Argentina into their seventh World Cup final.
Spain reached the final 24 hours earlier. Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro scored in the win over France, handing Luis de la Fuente's team an extra day to rest and prepare.
Scaloni believes that gap has hurt Argentina's build-up.
The Albiceleste only arrived in the New York area late on Thursday night. FIFA then told them to hold a short training session on Friday afternoon in difficult weather.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Scaloni said his squad had little time to recover after travelling.
He added that several players were still not fully fit. The team's priority, he said, was rest before checking their condition ahead of the final.
Scaloni's concerns line up with recent tournament trends. Data published by The Athletic shows the team that played the first semi-final has won 13 of the last 14 World Cups and European Championships, which points to the value of extra recovery time.
Spain travelled to New Jersey straight after their semi-final win. That gave them more time to settle and prepare tactically for the meeting at MetLife Stadium.
The scheduling of semi-finals always gives one finalist more preparation time than the other. But Scaloni's main frustration was with FIFA's organisation after Argentina landed.
He argued FIFA could have held the team's press conference earlier in the day and let them train later in the evening when temperatures were cooler. Instead, he said, they were forced into a rushed afternoon session in the heat.
Argentina will now hope the logistical problems do not cost them their title defence against Spain on Sunday.
The final at MetLife Stadium closes out the 2026 World Cup, the first edition of the tournament hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The expanded format has stretched squads over a longer schedule, and recovery windows have become a talking point throughout the competition.
Argentina go into the final as reigning champions after their triumph in 2022. A win on Sunday would give the country a third star in successive tournaments and cap an era built around captain Lionel Messi.
Messi has also been in the news this week. He dismissed claims that Argentina had received favourable refereeing decisions during the tournament, insisting the team's run to the final was earned through their performances rather than officiating.
Spain, meanwhile, are chasing their first World Cup title since 2010. De la Fuente's squad has come through against France and now faces the champions with the benefit of the longer break that Scaloni has questioned.
Kick-off is set for Sunday at MetLife Stadium, with Argentina still assessing the fitness of the
Source: Yen Sports
