in briefArgentina and Spain will meet in a blockbuster World Cup final on Monday.The two sides have only met once before in competitive play, at the 1966 World Cup in their opening group fixture.Football's biggest stage is set, with Argentina to take on Spain in a blockbuster World Cup final. Reigning European champions Spain reached the final after a clinical 2-0 win over France, producing a masterclass defensive display that held arguably the tournament's most dangerous forward line to just three shots on target.Despite topping their group, Spain's campaign wasn't without setbacks. La Roja dropped points after tournament debutantes and one of the lowest-ranked teams, Cape Verde, held them to a scoreless draw in the opening match. But Spain have gone from strength to strength, conceding just one goal across four knockout wins over Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France to qualify for their second World Cup final.They head into the tournament's final match in fine form, with a side that combines individual talent with remarkable cohesion.News that makes senseYour trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.Defending champions Argentina are on the brink of back-to-back titles after a 2-1 victory over England, coming from behind to score twice in the dying minutes.They topped their group comfortably, but the knockout stage has been far more rocky. They faced a determined Cape Verde in the Round of 32, who came back twice to equalise before Argentina found a winner deep in extra time. In the Round of 16, Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 in the 79th minute before staging one of the greatest World Cup comebacks. They scored three goals in 14 minutes, including a stoppage-time winner, to edge past the Pharaohs.The match was steeped in controversy, with an Egyptian goal ruled out by VAR after a foul early in the build-up. Argentina then defeated Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-finals.When the score was level, the momentum was with Switzerland before they were reduced to 10 men after Breel Embolo was sent off with a second yellow card for a dive.The match went to extra time, but the Swiss defence eventually cracked. Julián Alvarez restored Argentina's lead with a stunning strike, while Lautaro Martínez sealed the win late in the match.Argentina come into the final with 39-year-old Lionel Messi in fine form, leading the Golden Boot race with eight goals and four assists.Messi will go head-to-head with Spain's teenage star Lamine Yamal, 19, but it will not be their first encounter.Then 20 and a rising star at Barcelona, Messi bathed a baby Yamal during a 2007 charity photoshoot organised by the Catalan newspaper Diario Sport in conjunction with UNICEF.Lionel Messi with a baby Lamine Yamal in 2007. The two will meet at the World Cup final on Monday. Source: AP / Joan MonfortThe images were taken by freelance photographer Joan Monfort, who told the Associated Press in 2024 that Yamal's family won a UNICEF-organised raffle to have their photo taken with a Barcelona player at Camp Nou.Little did they know the pair would meet again nearly 20 years later — this time on football's biggest stage.Argentina won against France on penalties at the 2022 World Cup, after one of the tournament's greatest-ever finals ended 3-3 in extra time. Spain will be looking for their second title, having won their first in 2010 with an extra-time goal to secure a 1-0 win against the Netherlands. The two sides have only met once before in competitive play, at the 1966 World Cup in their opening group fixture, which Argentina won 2-1. They've played 13 friendlies, with Spain holding the advantage with six wins, five for Argentina, and two draws. The most recent match was in Madrid in 2018, with Spain hammering Argentina 6-1. The final will be held at New York New Jersey Stadium at 5am on Monday, which you can watch live and free on SBS or SBS On Demand.For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.