World Cup 2026: Eight goals in the final quarter-hour, Argentina’s mental strength

19.07.26 AET World Cup

Spain

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Argentina

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Argentina continues its calm march toward a potential fourth World Cup. The final hurdle: Spain, in Sunday’s showdown in New York.

After a fairly controlled group stage, Lionel Messi’s teammates faced plenty of resistance, especially against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, and England—twice forced into extra time and clinching victory at the wire in the other two matches.

According to Opta, Lionel Scaloni’s squad has scored eight goals between the 76th and 90th minutes at the 2026 World Cup—the highest tally for any team in this timeframe in a single edition, equaling Germany’s record from 1954.

Argentina is also one of just two teams to have scored two match-winning goals in the 90th minute in the same year, joining the Netherlands in 1998.

These statistics highlight the mental toughness and character of the Argentines, as well as the impact of Lionel Scaloni’s substitutions in the final quarter-hour of matches.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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