It’s time for a face-off between the untouchable Spain and the unbeatable Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final today. Here’s everything to know, from the prize money pool to unbelievable trivia about the trophy and match predictions by influencersArgentina takes on Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on July 19.Show me the money: The $871 million ( ₹8,386 crore) prize poolHow it splits$655 million is performance-based prize money and $216 million is guaranteed qualification/preparation money for all participating teams.Base guarantee for each of the 48 teams: $10 million (qualification) + $2.5 million (preparation) = $12.5 million minimum, regardless of result.Performance-based payouts by finishChampion: $50 million + $2.5 million (preparation) = $52.5mRunner-up: $33 million+ $2.5 million (preparation)= $35.5mThird place: $29 million + $2.5 million (preparation)= $31.5mRound of 32 exit : $11 million + $2.5 million (preparation)= $13.5mRound of 16: $15 million + $2.5 million (preparation)= $17.5mGroup stage exit (33rd–48th): $9 million + $2.5 million (preparation)= $11.5mNotably, the winner’s payout this year is $11.5 million more than Argentina received in 2022.Awards with no cash, but prestigeGolden Boot: Recognises the tournament’s top scorer across group and knockout stages. Silver and Bronze Boot go to the second and third top scorers; ties are broken first by assists, then by fewest minutes played.Golden Ball: For the tournament’s best overall player, shortlisted by FIFA’s Technical Study Group and voted on by media representatives.Golden Glove: For the tournament’s best goalkeeper.FIFA Young Player Award: For the best player aged 21 or under at the start of the tournament year.FIFA Fair Play Trophy: For the team with the best disciplinary record through the knockout rounds.Super Bowl-style rings: For the first time, FIFA will award custom championship rings to the winning players and coaching staff. Only a total of 2,026 rings are being made, with 30 custom-made for the team with the crest of the winning team, and 1,996 replicas for fans and collectors to purchase.Super Bowl-style rings: For the first time, FIFA will award custom championship rings to the winning players and coaching staff. Only a total of 2,026 rings are being made, with 30 custom-made for the team with the crest of the winning team, and 1,996 replicas for fans and collectors to purchase.The trophy’s trunk:A bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk will transport the trophy to the New York New Jersey Stadium. It features hand-painted golden ‘V’ panels symbolising both ‘Victory’ and ‘Vuitton’. It is finished with gold-plated brass fittings, leather trims and LV’s signature locks.Interesting trivia:The winning team doesn’t get to keep the trophy, but receives a gold-plated bronze replica: World Cup Winners’ Trophy. The real trophy is flown back to the FIFA World Football Museum, Zurich after the ceremony.The FIFA trophy’s value is around $20 million (over ₹192 crore). The raw gold and malachite are worth only about $300,000. The rest of the value is due to its historical and cultural significance, making it the most valuable in the sports world.FIFA allows bare-handed contact with the real trophy only to the World Cup winners, heads of state and FIFA officials. Everyone else has to wear white gloves.This is not the original Jules Rimet Trophy (used 1930–1970), which was stolen twice and lost forever. First in 1966, months before the World Cup in England. The second time was during WWII, when an Italian FIFA official secretly smuggled and hid it under his bed to keep it from Nazi hands.Predictions for the night: