Spain vs. Argentina World Cup final goalless at halftime after cagey first 45 minutes

The first half of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina concluded without a goal, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. Spain controlled the majority of possession, dictating the tempo of the match at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Despite their dominance, clear-cut chances were scarce for both sides.

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The match at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday has been a cagey affair, with Spain enjoying greater possession and Argentina looking to make the game into a scrap.

Spain's Lamine Yamal showed early promise, forcing a save in the opening minutes, but the game quickly settled into a cagey affair. Argentina struggled to create opportunities, focusing on a physical battle to disrupt Spain's rhythm. The defending champions' strategy appeared to be working, as they limited Spain's attacking threats, though they themselves failed to register a single shot on target until very late in the half.

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Spain looked to control the ball and force Argentina to chase the game. The South American giants were mostly restricted to their own half and looked to make it a physical battle.

A significant blow for Argentina came just before halftime when key defender Lisandro Martinez was forced off due to injury. His absence leaves a considerable gap in their defense, raising questions about how they will cope with Spain's attacking prowess in the second half. The match also saw a few hefty challenges, with the referee initially hesitant to issue yellow cards until late in the period.

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Slovenian official Slavko Vincic declined to brandish a yellow card until the 40th minute, despite some hefty challenges in the first half.