Argentina and Spain’s head-to-head record at FIFA World Cups gives La Albiceleste the edge, as they’ve won the lone meeting between the two nations. Still, Spain and Argentina have faced each other several times across all competitions.

The last time Messi’s Argentina played Spain was in 2018. However, the two countries have met once since then—none other than at the 2020 Olympics, which were played in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Déjà vu from 2020 Olympics

Although the Olympics don’t allow countries to send their senior national teams, there were several youngsters on Spain’s and Argentina’s 2020 Olympic squads who are also part of the 2026 World Cup rosters. Many of them are now lynchpins for La Roja and La Albiceleste.

When Argentina and Spain met in the group stage of the 2020 Olympics, La Roja’s starting XI featured Unai Simon, Marc Cucurella, Eric Garcia, Martin Zubimendi, Pedri, Mikel Merino, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Dani Olmo. All of them are now crucial members of the squad that reached the 2026 World Cup final. Moreover, the mastermind behind the team was none other than Luis de la Fuente, who would later earn a promotion to the senior national team, and the rest is history.

Argentina’s starting XI included both Facundo Medina and Alexis Mac Allister, while Thiago Almada came off the bench with 20 minutes remaining. Julian Alvarez could’ve been part of the team, but his club didn’t release him to join the U-23 national team. In the end, Argentina and Spain played to a 1-1 draw, with goals from Mikel Merino and Tomas Belmonte.

What happened after 2020 Olympics game?

The result eliminated Argentina in the group stage, while Spain went on to reach the final, where they fell 2-1 to Brazil in extra time. Brazil’s squad featured the likes of Dani Alves (one of the three overage players allowed on the roster), Bruno Guimaraes, Douglas Luiz, Antony, Matheus Cunha, and Richarlison.

Five years later, Spain and Argentina meet again. This time, with Messi, Yamal—who was only 14 during the 2020 Olympics—and both nations’ crème de la crème squads. History often has a way of repeating itself, and there will be plenty of familiar faces when Argentina and Spain take the field once again, this time with soccer’s most coveted trophy on the line.

Pedri’s demotion to be a substitute is an entirely tactical decision. Pedri is fully healthy and fit to play, and could’ve started against France. However, he’s lost his starting role after some lackluster performances throughout the 2026 World Cup. When Spain face France at the semifinals, the recent trend will continue.

Pedri’s place has been claimed by Fabian Ruiz, who was named a starter for the quarterfinal against Belgium. Ruiz made the most of his opportunity, scoring a goal for La Roja and putting on a clinic in midfield while complementing Rodri in a crucial area of the pitch. Nico Williams isn’t starting today either.

How Pedri’s absence affects Spain

Spain are known for their ball possession and their ability to take the wind out of their opponents’ sails by playing a slower-paced style while being highly efficient in front of goal. De la Fuente explained that Pedri’s role with Spain is different from the midfielder’s job at Barcelona, which hinted the young Culé could be benched again.

Still, Pedri contributes to the team’s control of possession, and even though he’s had some erratic outings, he can still influence the midfield like few others can. Against France, who have no shortage of speedsters and prolific scorers, Spain’s style will face a litmus test. Perhaps it will come down to goalkeepers Mike Maignan and Unai Simon, or maybe it will be the midfield battle that tilts the scales.

In that case, de la Fuente’s decision to bench Pedri in favor of Ruiz could determine who moves on to the 2026 World Cup final. It paid off against Belgium. Whether it will do so against the Red Devils’ neighbors is a different question.

Pedri’s 2026 World Cup so far

Coming into soccer’s biggest tournament as one of the main players to watch for Spain—and across the entire World Cup—it’s safe to say Pedri hasn’t put on the performances he expected. Pedri was coming off a superb year at Barcelona, during which he set a new career high for assists in a single season with 12 across all competitions.

However, he has yet to record a goal contribution for Spain at the 2026 World Cup. Still, goals and assists rarely do Pedri’s style any favors. His stats don’t necessarily jump off the page, even when he plays lights out. Regardless, he’s had some rough outings at the 2026 World Cup, looking inaccurate and a bit rusty at times.

At first, his performances were only criticized on social media, but with de la Fuente now choosing Ruiz to start instead, it’s clear the national team coaching staff has noticed Pedri’s struggles, too.

“Pedri cannot play with us the way he plays at Barça. Our style of play is different. We can have certain similarities, but it is different,” the manager said on El Larguero via Cadena SER. “We have Rodri or Zubimendi, who influence the behavior of the player next to them. He cannot play the same way he does for his club because we demand something different from him and have another approach to our footballing philosophy.”

Despite these challenges, De la Fuente praised the Barcelona player’s versatility: “Pedri, because of his ability and talent, can play as a ‘6’, ‘8’ or ’10’. I have spoken with him and he feels very comfortable when he has a final pass, a shot and the ability to make runs into the box. We try to make each player feel comfortable so they can develop their footballing potential.”

The start on the bench against Belgium was due to a tactical change from Spain’s coaching staff, and not because of a decline in the player’s performance. It remains to be seen whether he will ultimately get minutes on the pitch in the head-to-head clash against France.

Pedri, Spain’s young talent

During the 2026 World Cup, Pedri has been a key orchestrator in Spain’s midfield, featuring in all 6 of La Roja‘s matches up through the quarter-finals against Belgium. While he hasn’t recorded a goal or an assist in the tournament yet, his elite control and distribution have been vital, dictating the tempo with 304 completed passes out of 356 attempted (an impressive 85.4% passing accuracy).

Serving as the press-resistant brain of the squad, his standout creative display came in the group stage opener against Cape Verde, where he completed 77 accurate passes and generated multiple chances to set the standard for Spain‘s tactical dominance.

What midfield could Spain use against France?

It will be a historic showdown between two top contenders. Dallas will be dressed for the occasion for a major clash between Spain and France, with the winner securing a place in the World Cup final.

In the quarterfinal match, Luis de la Fuente decided to start with three midfielders: Rodri, Fabian Ruiz and Alex Baena. This allowed Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal more freedom to support Mikel Oyarzabal in attack.

That said, it remains to be seen whether he will repeat the same formation against Les Bleus, or if he could potentially bring Pedri into the starting lineup to pursue a different strategy.

The surprise is even greater because, in the buildup, many expected Dani Olmo to be sacrificed to bring Fabian Ruiz into the midfield. However, the Spanish head coach opted to keep the Barcelona player and leave out Pedri. Everything indicates it is a 100% tactical decision, as Pedri was not entering the match in his best form, for a fixture that already has referees confirmed.

For his part, Fabian returns to the starting eleven, a position he had not held since the debut against Cape Verde, where Spain drew 0-0 against Cape Verde. However, he is an experienced player who can give a different energy to the Spanish midfield. Pedri will be alongside a Barcelona teammate on the bench in Gavi, who isn’t starting either.

Spain chase World Cup semifinals

La Roja face one of their biggest challenges in this 2026 World Cup. Belgium arrive strengthened and with a great position in the FIFA ranking after overcoming a tough elimination round and represent a maximum-demand opponent for the men led by Luis de la Fuente.

For this reason, the head coach decided to introduce important modifications in search of controlling the tempo of the match and punching their ticket to the semifinals. He also left Nico Williams on the bench.

Confirmed lineups

Lineups are already confirmed. With the decision to bench Pedri and Gavi while deciding not to start Ferran Torres once again, Luis de la Fuente will line up as follows: Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Alex Baena; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal.

On Belgium’s side, Romelu Lukaku will not start in a decision that has become repetitive, nor will Dodi Lukebakio, who had been a starter in the last match against USA. Rudi Garcia chose his starting eleven: Thibaut Courtois; Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper, Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy; Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, Nicolas Raskin; Leandro Trossard, Jeremy Doku, Charles De Ketelaere.

Fabrizio Romano, a renowned journalist who specializes in the soccer transfer market, reported on Friday that Barcelona made the first move toward acquiring Julian Alvarez from Atleti. The Colchoneros did not take this report well and answered with joking bids for three of the Blaugranas’ biggest stars.

“HERE WE GO! We have sent a fax to @FCBarcelona_es with our transfer offer: 4 tickets for tomorrow’s Bad Bunny concert, an annual subscription to ABC, and a bag of sunflower seeds. We eagerly await the response to prepare the ‘announce’,” Atleti published on their official Spanish X account alongside a picture of Lamine Yamal, who recently won his third LaLiga title, wearing their jersey.

Pedri and Raphinha also included in Atleti’s troll

In their second tweet on the topic, Atletico Madrid shared a joke offer for Pedri: “HERE WE GO! For this second offer we had a problem, we ran out of tickets for tomorrow’s concert, so we are improving the previous proposal with 6 for Sunday’s concert.”

For their third post of the day, Atletico Madrid targeted Barcelona winger Raphinha, all of them starting with Romano’s phrase when he announces a signing: “HERE WE GO! And to complete the 3-for-1 deal, we went all out and are throwing the house out the window: the player arrives on loan for one season and in exchange we loan Tom Ford and Smith with no option to buy. An irresistible offer.”

Atletico Madrid send a clear message to Barcelona about Julian Alvarez

Following these three posts, Atletico Madrid concluded the interaction with a direct message aimed at Barcelona regarding the reported bid for Julian Alvarez and the persistent rumors surrounding his potential exit from the club:

“No, Atletico Madrid would never do something like that. However, over the last few months, we have been suffering a campaign of constant harassment against one of our players. Self-serving leaks, ‘fake news’, a continuous lack of respect, the Cule version of the media machinery inventing stories, phone calls right before head-to-head matches… But of course, it would also never cross our minds to have the vice president of the referees on our payroll or to resort to political favors to register players. RESPECT and VALUES.”

The reality is two of the players are unavailable due to injuries. For Pedri, he is still dealing with a muscle injury in his right hamstring. His return date is scheduled for February 22, for the match against Levante. Pedri suffered the injury after the match against Slavia Praha on January 21st.

As for Rashford, he is nursing a knee injury. Per manager Hansi Flick, “Marcus is feeling better.” However, the German coach won’t risk him until he is fully fit to come back to play. He is scheduled to come back on the same date as Pedri, according to Rotowire. Lewandowski is on the bench due to a tactical decision by Hansi Flick.

Both Rashford and Pedri’s absences by the numbers

Rashford has started 13 of 21 games where he’s played. He has 10 G+A this year in LaLiga. That translates to 0.72 goal involvements per 90 minutes played. Rashford is a very reliable option for Barcelona as well. He can play wide left, wide right, or as a classic number nine.

Pedri’s numbers are not as flashy, as he has just seven G+A in LaLiga this season, though he has played in 16 games. However, Pedri’s relevance goes way beyond just his output. He has made the LaLiga ‘Team of the Week‘ four times, and creates big chances, as he averages 2.4 key passes per game and completes 91% of his passes.

Are Girona a threat to Barcelona?

Girona shouldn’t be much of a dangerous opponent to Barça. As a matter of fact, Girona are 15th on the table and battling relegation. They haven’t won in three games, and have the third-worst home record in Spain this season. At home, they’ve conceded 18 goals and scored just 10 in 11 games.

Hence, Barcelona should be able to get three points, as they are the second-best away team in LaLiga. Barcelona have won eight and tied one game out of the 12 played away from their stadium. When being the visiting side, Barcelona have scored 29 goals, though they have received 18. Still, having Lewandowski as an option straight from the bench is a luxury many teams would love to have, just in case Barça need a clinical striker to solve any offensive issues.

Raphinha continues to recover from a right adductor strain that kept him sidelined during Barcelona’s recent victories over Albacete in the cup and Mallorca in LaLiga. The club expect his recovery to take approximately one week, meaning the Brazilian winger should be available for the upcoming league match against Girona.

“He is a player who always gives everything, always plays with such intensity. When he feels something, we have to take care of him and perhaps take a step back,” Flick said of Raphinha during his pre-match press conference. “That is the situation right now. Of course, I am not happy about it because we need him“.

As for the English forward, Barcelona confirmed that he sustained a knock and will not feature tonight. “First-team player Marcus Rashford has pain in his left knee after taking a blow in the game against Mallorca on Saturday at Spotify Camp Nou. The player will miss Thursday’s Copa del Rey game against Atletico Madrid,” the club stated in an official release.

Finally, midfielder Pedri remains in the rehabilitation phase after suffering a muscle injury to the biceps femoris in his right leg during a Champions League encounter against Slavia Praha. The club has indicated he will be out for roughly a month, with a target return date of February 22 against Levante.

Barcelona welcome back a vital cog

It isn’t all bad news for Flick, as the German manager will have Frenkie de Jong at his disposal for this high-pressure semifinal. The Dutch midfielder missed the previous match against Mallorca due to pubalgia discomfort but has since returned to full training. He is expected to start in the heart of the pitch tonight.

While Barcelona boast a deep squad, the absence of three starters forces Flick to shuffle his lineup. Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo, and Ferran Torres are all projected to start as the Catalan giants look to overcome the hostile atmosphere in Madrid.

Pedri is unavailable for tonight’s decisive clash after suffering a muscle injury to the biceps femoris in his right leg during Barcelona’s previous Champions League encounter—a 4-2 victory against Slavia Praha.

“Tests carried out this morning have confirmed that first-team player Pedro González ‘Pedri’ has a muscle injury in the biceps femoris of his right leg. The expected recovery time is one month,” Barcelona stated in an official medical report.

The news has sparked concern within the Catalan club, as this marks Pedri’s third muscle-related injury of the current campaign. Earlier this season, a muscle tear sidelined him for 31 days, causing him to miss five matches, followed by a brief period out due to minor discomfort. This latest setback is expected to keep him off the pitch for approximately four or five weeks.

Which Barcelona games could Pedri miss?

The club has confirmed a recovery timeline of approximately one month, meaning Pedri is set to miss several key fixtures across all competitions. Having already sat out the recent 3-0 win over Real Oviedo, his absence continues with tonight’s Champions League clash.

Looking ahead, he is expected to miss LaLiga matches against Elche (Jan 31), Mallorca (Feb 7), and Girona (Feb 15), as well as the Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Albacete (Feb 3). Should Barcelona advance in the domestic cup, he would also be ruled out for the first leg of the semifinals, scheduled to take place between February 10 and February 12.

The European stage presents further complications; if Barcelona fail to secure direct qualification to the Round of 16 tonight, Pedri would likely miss the first leg of the Champions League knockout phase playoffs on February 17 or 18.

While a potential return is tentatively penciled in for the league fixture against Levante on February 22, the club may exercise extreme caution given his injury history this season. In that case, his comeback could be delayed until the match against Villarreal on March 1 to ensure he is at full strength for the final stretch of the campaign.

What could have been a full-on celebration for the Catalan club might end up being a bit more subdued. According to Mundo Deportivo, two key teammates — Robert Lewandowski and Pedri — are reportedly not expected to attend the gala.

Having already experienced the event before, Pedri has decided to prioritize rest this time. With Barcelona’s schedule growing more demanding, the midfielder prefers to stay in Spain and focus on preparing for Thursday’s league match against Real Oviedo.

Pedri is currently the only Barça outfield player who has started every single game this season. That includes all four opening league matches as well as their Champions League group stage debut, making his decision to skip the gala understandable.

Why Lewandowski might not attend

Lewandowski, meanwhile, reportedly opted out because he does not see himself as a frontrunner for the award. There may also be lingering frustration between France Football and the Polish striker, given the events of 2020.

Many fans and analysts believe Lewandowski was “robbed” of the 2020 Ballon d’Or when France Football, the award’s organizer, canceled that year’s ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision sparked controversy, as Lewandowski had been the overwhelming favorite to win.

During the 2019-20 campaign, Lewandowski led Bayern Munich to a historic treble, winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League, while also finishing as the top scorer in every competition.

The Lewandowski controversy lives on

The debate reignited in 2021 when the award returned and Lionel Messi was named the winner for a fantastic season with Barcelona. Even Messi acknowledged the situation during his acceptance speech, stating that Lewandowski deserved the 2020 award. This public recognition only fueled the belief that the striker had been unfairly denied one of soccer’s most prestigious individual honors.

Rodri gave a clear answer about who he thinks are the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or. “Out of affection, I would like Lamine or Pedri to win, although if it’s based on sporting merits, maybe Ousmane or Vitinha,” he said at the press conference. Although he mentioned Yamal as one of the favorites, implying that he does not have sufficient sporting merits was somewhat controversial.

In the 2024-25 season, Lamine Yamal emerged as one of the world’s top talents, netting 18 goals and delivering 25 assists over 55 appearances for Barcelona. His influence extended to the international stage, where he shone for Spain in the Nations League, scoring three goals and contributing one assist. Despite being 18 years old and not winning the 2025 Champions League title, his remarkable performances have solidified his status among the elite.

Rodri made headlines by including Pedri and Vitinha among his favorite players for the prestigious award. While neither player is known for scoring goals like wingers or forwards, their recent performances have been vital, significantly impacting their team’s offense. Notably, Vitinha stands out as a strong contender for the award, having clinched both the Champions League and Nations League titles last season.

When will the winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or be announced?

Following an action-packed season, anticipation for the 2025 Ballon d’Or is reaching a fever pitch as several standout candidates vie for soccer’s most prestigious individual honor. The winner will be revealed on Monday, September 22, during a grand ceremony at the iconic Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.

Either Dembele or Lamine could make history by winning the Ballon d’Or

Despite featuring strong contenders for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal are the top favorites to chinch the award. And both have opportunities to make history. if Paris Saint-Germain’s standout Dembele wins, he will become the sixth French player to earn the honor. This victory would elevate France to eight awards, tying with Argentina for the most in the award’s history.

Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal holds the potential to set an astonishing record. Should the Barcelona prodigy win, he would become the youngest Ballon d’Or recipient ever, achieving this feat at just 18 years and 2 months old. This would surpass Ronaldo Nazario’s milestone, established when he won at 21 years and 3 months.

During a press conference following the announcement, de la Fuente explained his selections and took the opportunity to single out one of his players as the best in the world in his position. That player is Pedri, who, according to de la Fuente, stands unmatched in his position.

“Simplifying, I think we have the chance to rely on the best players in the world in many positions. And Pedri, right now, is at a point of maturity, performance, and game interpretation like never before,” de la Fuente said. “I still believe we haven’t seen the best Pedri we’re going to see. He has room to grow, and we’re going to witness and enjoy it,” he added.

The coach emphasized Pedri’s importance to the team. “He gives us a lot of versatility. He can play in more advanced roles, closer to the area, but at his club, he plays more as a number eight, deeper, and he does it exceptionally well. He allows us to adjust our game thanks to his talent”. De la Fuente concluded with a bold declaration: “For me, he’s the best player in the world in his position, and we’re going to enjoy and value him”.

Pedri’s pick for the greatest player

While his coach sees him as the best, Pedri himself has a clear opinion about the greatest player of all time. During a Twitch stream with Spanish personality Ibai Llanos, Pedri named Lionel Messi as his pick for the GOAT.

“I think he’s the best in history,” Pedri admitted. “I was lucky enough to play alongside him, and it was crazy. Just watching him train made me think, ‘What am I doing here with him?’”

The 22-year-old midfielder also reminisced about the first time he met Messi. “I’ll always remember the first day. I walked into the locker room, and I froze,” Pedri recalled. “It wasn’t just seeing him and asking for a photo. It was that I was about to train with him. Imagine being a 17-year-old kid from Las Palmas, and the first person you see is Messi. It’s overwhelming”.

Spain’s squad for the Nations League

Here’s the roster de la Fuente has chosen to face the Netherlands:

Goalkeepers

• David Raya (Arsenal)
• Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao)
• Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad)

Defenders

• Pedro Porro (Tottenham)
• Óscar Mingueza (Celta de Vigo)
• Robin Le Normand (Atlético Madrid)
• Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona)
• Iñigo Martínez (Barcelona)
• Raúl Asencio (Real Madrid)
• Grimaldo (Benfica)
• Marc Cucurella (Chelsea)

Midfielders

• Martín Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)
• Marc Casadó (Barcelona)
• Fabián Ruiz (PSG)
• Mikel Merino (Arsenal)
• Álex Baena (Villarreal)
• Pedri (Barcelona)

Forwards

• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
• Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
• Ferrán Torres (Barcelona)
• Yeremy (Villarreal)
• Dani Olmo (Barcelona)
• Ayoze Pérez (Villarreal)
• Álvaro Morata (Galatasaray)
• Bryan Zaragoza (Osasuna)
• Samu (Porto)
• Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad)

The squad notably excludes several high-profile players, such as Isco, Gayá, Gavi, Alejandro Baldé, Fermín Lopez, and Eric Garcia. Despite these omissions, de la Fuente appears confident in the group he’s assembled to lead Spain in the crucial Nations League showdown.