Argentina has entered a rare list in World Cup history, having struggled offensively during the first half of their match against Spain in the 2026 final.
According to statistics provider Opta, the Argentine national team did not touch the ball inside Spain's penalty area throughout the first half, a negative record that has rarely been seen since the start of World Cup statistics documentation in 1966.
Opta has pointed out that this situation has only occurred twice before: the first was when Argentina faced Germany in the 1990 final, and the second was when France met Argentina in the 2022 final.
This figure reflects the attacking difficulties faced by the Argentine national team during the first 45 minutes of the match, with no presence in the Spanish penalty area.
