Spain and Argentina face off this Sunday evening at 21 p.m. at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for the 2026 World Cup final. This final match of the tournament pits the reigning European champions, Spain, against the world champions, Argentina. La Roja can secure their second World Cup title, 16 years after their victory in 2010. The Albiceleste will attempt to retain the trophy they won in Qatar and become the first team to achieve a World Cup double since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
Spain conceded only one goal
Spain arrives in the final with the best defense in the competition. Luis de la Fuente's players have conceded only one goal in seven matches and have never trailed since the start of the tournament. They are also currently on a 37-match unbeaten run, which began in March 2024.
In the knockout stages, Spain eliminated Austria in the round of 32, 3-0, then Portugal in the round of 16, 1-0. They then conceded their only goal of the tournament in their quarter-final victory against Belgium, 2-1. In the semi-final, the Spanish defeated France 2-0, thanks to a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a goal from Pedro Porro. Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise were unable to find the net against the Spanish defense.
Rodri directs, Oyarzabal scores, Yamal provokes
Spain's game revolves primarily around Rodri. The captain controls the midfield, protects his defense, and orchestrates the initial build-up play. Against France, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner delivered one of his best performances of the tournament, allowing Spain to maintain possession for much of the match.
Mikel Oyarzabal is Spain's top scorer at this World Cup with five goals. The striker opened the scoring again against France. Dani Olmo remains one of the team's main playmakers, while Mikel Merino brings his power and presence in the box. On the right flank, Lamine Yamal poses the main individual threat. At 19, the FC Barcelona winger is playing in his first World Cup final. Against France, he won the penalty converted by Oyarzabal and also had a goal disallowed for offside. His speed, dribbling, and ball control force opposing defenses to reinforce their left side.
Argentina has the best attack in the tournament
Argentina, on the other hand, had a much more turbulent run. The world champions scored 19 goals, the most in the competition, but they conceded at least one goal in each of their four knockout matches. Their strength lay primarily in their ability to come back from behind and score in the final minutes.
In the knockout stages, Argentina needed extra time to eliminate Cape Verde, 3-2, in the round of 32. In the round of 16, they found themselves trailing 2-0 against Egypt before turning the match around and winning 3-2 thanks to a goal scored in stoppage time. The Argentinians then beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, England were still leading 1-0 in the final minutes. Messi He then provided two assists, first for Enzo Fernández, then for Lautaro Martínez. Argentina won 2-1 and reached their second consecutive World Cup final.
Messi is chasing Mbappé for the Golden Boot
Lionel Messi enters this final with eight goals and four assists. At 39, the Argentine captain is playing in his sixth World Cup and likely his last match in the competition. He can become a world champion for the second time after winning the title against France in 2022. Messi can also finish as the tournament's top scorer. Kylian Mbappé currently leads the scoring charts with 10 goals after his brace against England in the third-place match. Messi therefore needs to score at least two goals to catch up with the Frenchman. A hat trick would allow him to win the Golden Boot outright, without assists or playing time being used as a tiebreaker.
Another record is at stake. Mbappé has become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals. Messi has 21. One goal would allow him to equal the Frenchman's record, and a brace would put him back in sole possession of first place in the all-time rankings.
Lautaro Martínez, Argentina's other weapon
Spain cannot focus all their attention on Messi. Lautaro Martínez scored the winning goal against England and provides an additional option in the penalty area. Enzo Fernández, who scored in the semi-final, Alexis Mac Allister, and Rodrigo De Paul form a midfield capable of raising the intensity when Argentina are behind. Emiliano Martínez also remains crucial. The best goalkeeper of the 2022 World Cup, he has extensive experience in knockout matches and penalty shootouts. However, Argentina has shown more defensive fragility than Spain and has not kept a clean sheet since the group stage.
Messi versus Yamal, two generations face off
The final will also pit against two players deeply linked to FC Barcelona. Messi was developed at La Masia before spending 17 years with the Catalan club's first team. Yamal, in turn, became one of the main faces of Barça and the Spanish national team. Luis de la Fuente confirmed that Spain would not implement permanent man-marking for Messi. The Spanish coach nevertheless acknowledged that his team would have to keep a very close eye on the Argentine captain, who has scored eight goals and provided four assists in the tournament.
Two selections one victory away from history
If successful, Spain would add a second World Cup to its record after the one won in South Africa in 2010. It would also confirm its dominance after its European title in 2024 and its victory in the Nations League in 2025.
Argentina are aiming for a fourth star after their titles in 1978, 1986 and 2022. A victory would allow Lionel Scaloni's players to retain their title and extend an exceptional run that also includes the Copa América 2021 and 2024.
The tournament's best defense will face its best attack. Spain has conceded only one goal. Argentina has scored 19. Between La Roja's collective mastery and Messi's efficiency in a competition he has already won, the 2026 World Cup will conclude with the most anticipated match of the tournament.
