Criftology

👨🏻‍🔬 | The Science of Cricket 🏏 & Football ⚽
📖 | Telling stories through data & analytics
🔍 | Currently analyzing @thehundred and @FIFAWorldCup

[Criftology @criftology]

@thesportsgully And only 🇪🇸 Spain and 🇩🇪 Germany have won both thus far 👏🏻🏆🏆

[Criftology @criftology]

@thesportsgully 🇫🇷 1998 and 🇩🇪 2006 World Cups 🏆 were both fantastic editions 🔥

[Criftology @criftology]

@speedlne 🇨🇮 Yan Diomande (age 19) created 4 big chances at 🏆 FIFA World Cup 2026 despite playing only 4 games. Only 🇫🇷 Ousmane Dembélé, 🇫🇷 Michael Olise and 🇦🇷 Lionel Messi created more in the tournament.

🔥 Coveted.

[Criftology @criftology]

@Cricketracker 🌴 Interesting how every single player on this list won exactly 1 T20 World Cup final except for Chris Gayle who won 2 🏆🏆

🔥 Universe Boss.

[Criftology @criftology]

@alimo_philip 🇪🇸 Spain = ⚽️ Football intelligence 🔥

[Criftology @criftology]

@00sFootb4ll 🇮🇹 Other teams knew they had to beat this Milan side if they wanted to win the Champions League 🏆

🔥 Pure class.

[Criftology @criftology]

@TSN_Sports @FabrizioRomano 🇮🇹⚽️ The heartbeat of Italy's 2006 World Cup win 🏆 Wish him the best in this new chapter 👏🏻

[Criftology @criftology]

@FIFAWorldCup 🔥 All top attacking players but interesting how 🇧🇷 Ronaldo was the only one among these to win both the 👟 Golden Boot and the 🏆 World Cup trophy in the same edition.

🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé definitely came closest to do it too in 2022.

[Criftology @criftology]

@MeteoFootMaps 🇪🇸🔥 Truly phenomenal. 7 clean sheets and just 2.4 xG conceded as well!

[Criftology @criftology]

@footballontnt 🇳🇴🤖 Arguably Norway's greatest player already 🔥

[Criftology @criftology]

@ExtremeFootbal4 🇮🇹⚽ Legend of Roma and Italian football 👏🏻

[Criftology @criftology]

@FTalentScout 🇪🇸 So, from 2010 onwards, the best young player has always reached the following 🏆 World Cup's final 👀

[Criftology @criftology]

@Squawka 🇫🇷 And in both cases, the teams that eliminated him and France were the ones who won the World Cup 🏆🇦🇷🇪🇸

🔥 To be the best, beat the best.

[Criftology @criftology]

@OneFootball 🇪🇸 And the fact that both happened against opponents who were down to 10 men following a second yellow 🤯 The similarities between the two campaigns are incredible.

⭐️⭐️ It was meant to be!

[Criftology @criftology]

@OptaJean 🇦🇷 Amazing how each of the last two instances of this stat (1990, 2026) involved beating defending champions Argentina in the final, despite being 36 years apart.

💫 Maradona then, Messi now.

[Criftology @criftology]

@fmeetsdata 🇪🇸 Sensational record this 👏🏻 Spain will also be the first defending champions ever to host a World Cup too when they get the opportunity to do so in 2030.

🔥 The future looks as bright as the present.

[Criftology @criftology]

🇪🇸 Indeed. They thoroughly deserved to win this game ⭐⭐ It would have seemed really unfair if it had gone to penalties.

🇦🇷 Argentina can still be proud of what they have accomplished since 2014 though. Their best phases in 🏆 World Cup history always seem to come in distinct 12-year periods:

1978-1990: 2 x 🏆 + 1 x 🥈 (Kempes & Maradona Era)
2014-2026: 1 x 🏆 + 2 x 🥈 (Lionel Messi Era)

Generational.

[Criftology @criftology]

🇪🇸 Spain have increased their first half xG to 6.97 and since Argentina had no shot in the first 45 minutes, theirs stays at 5.18.

🇦🇷 Score still at 0-0 which means they do top the half time table though with 17 points, just 1 above Spain.

[Criftology @criftology]

🇦🇷🇪🇸 The two teams that have produced the best results at half time are the two that have reached the final.

🏆📈 Starting well, setting the tone and putting the opposition under pressure early are key to winning a World Cup.

⚔️ Additionally, ahead of the semi-finals, 🇪🇸 Spain's first half xG was 5.76 vs 🇫🇷 France's 4.45, 🇦🇷 Argentina's was 5.16 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England's 4.44 and the rest is history.

‼️ As things stand, the first half xG of both teams:
🇪🇸 Spain 6.74
🇦🇷 Argentina 5.18

[Criftology @criftology]

🇦🇷🇪🇸 Either Enzo Fernández or @cucurella3 will complete the 🏆🏆 Club World Cup + World Cup double at the New York New Jersey Stadium tonight.