The 2026 FIFA World Cup will conclude with a blockbuster final as Spain take on defending champions Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.
The two football powerhouses have emerged as the tournament’s standout teams and will now battle for the sport’s biggest prize after navigating contrasting paths to the final.
Spain became the first finalists after a composed 2-0 victory over France in Dallas, extending their unbeaten run in the knockout stages. Twenty-four hours later, Argentina booked their place with a hard-fought 2-1 win over England, moving within one victory of retaining the World Cup.
The final will also produce one of the tournament’s most captivating storylines as Lionel Messi comes up against Spanish teenage sensation Lamine Yamal for the first time in a senior international match.
Their meeting has drawn global attention because of a famous photograph taken when Yamal was an infant. During a UNICEF charity calendar shoot organised by Diario Sport, Messi was photographed holding and bathing the future Spain star.
