liveUpdated 8s agoFollow live as Spain and Argentina compete for football's most famous trophy.The Athletic Live TeamJuly 19, 2026 at 5:30 AM EDTLionel Messi is looking to guide Argentina to back-to-back World Cup trophies. Getty ImagesSpain vs Argentina — LatestThe 2026 World Cup winners will be crowned today at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.Spain and Argentina meet in the final, bringing the curtain down on a 104-match tournament staged across North America.Follow our live coverage for all the latest news, updates and analysis from our team of writers.Watch: Fox, Fubo (try for free)Kick-off: 3 p.m. ETJoin the discuss tab or email us your thoughts: live@theathletic.comWorld Cup finals this century: 2014 Getty ImagesFresh from thrashing hosts Brazil 7-1 in a historic semi-final, Germany found South America’s other heavyweight, Argentina, far more difficult to break down in the final.Fortunately for Germany, they possessed a supremely talented side capable of preventing the 27-year-old Lionel Messi from taking control of the contest.The match went to extra time — the third successive World Cup final to do so and the second in a row to finish goalless after 90 minutes — before Mario Gotze became Germany’s hero with a wonderful 113th-minute winner.For much of the next eight years, it appeared that this had been Messi’s best opportunity to win the trophy that continued to elude him and remove any lingering doubt about his place among the game’s all-time greats.Germany, meanwhile, seemed poised to begin an era of international dominance, with a generation featuring the World Cup’s newly crowned record goalscorer Miroslav Klose, forward Thomas Muller and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.Instead, they have failed to reach the round of 16 at each of the three tournaments since.World Cup finals this century: 2010 Getty ImagesThe only World Cup final of the 21st century contested by two nations yet to win the tournament ended with Spain overcoming the Netherlands.Spain’s golden generation succeeded where decades of talented but underachieving La Roja sides had failed.A country whose footballing loyalties are so often divided between Barcelona and Real Madrid united behind a team built around a core of Barcelona players and coached by Vicente del Bosque, a lifelong Real Madrid figure who placed great emphasis on harmony within the squad.Spain took their traditional possession-based identity to its extreme, dominating the ball through a relentless succession of short passes.They were not as devastating in attack as the great Barcelona side of that era, but their control of midfield meant they did not need to be.Spain won all four of their knockout matches 1-0, overcoming the Netherlands in the final through Andres Iniesta’s 116th-minute winner.World Cup finals this century: 2006 Getty ImagesApologies to man of the match Andrea Pirlo and decisive penalty-taker Fabio Grosso, but the enduring image of the 2006 World Cup final will always be Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt.In the final match of his career, the legendary France midfielder headbutted Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the 110th minute, with the score level at 1-1 in extra time, and was sent off.France survived the remainder of extra time to force a penalty shootout, but Italy prevailed 5-3.Zidane’s moment of madness overshadowed a match in which he had given France the lead with an audacious Panenka penalty before Italy equalised through Materazzi.World Cup finals this century: 2002 Getty ImagesRemarkably, given their status as the two most successful nations in World Cup history, Brazil and Germany did not meet at the tournament until the 2002 final in Yokohama, Japan.Brazil had been more convincing on their route to the final, while Germany needed successive 1-0 victories over the United States and co-hosts South Korea in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Their win over the US was controversial, with the Americans denied a penalty for a handball on the goal-line.Much of the pressure was on Brazil striker Ronaldo, who had struggled in the 1998 final after suffering a convulsive fit hours before kick-off, despite being widely regarded as the world’s best player at the time.Having overcome several serious injuries in the years leading up to the tournament, Ronaldo delivered when it mattered most, scoring both goals in Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Germany to complete a remarkable redemption story.Who are the recent World Cup champions? Getty ImagesWhoever emerges victorious today will add their name to an illustrious list of World Cup winners. Here are the champions from the past five tournaments and the results of their respective finals:2022: Argentina 3-3 France (Argentina won 4-2 on penalties)2018: France 4-2 Croatia2014: Germany 1-0 Argentina (after extra time)2010: Spain 1-0 Netherlands (after extra time)2006: Italy 1-1 France (Italy won 5-3 on penalties)As you can see, only one of the past five finals was decided within 90 minutes.Not the first World Cup final in the U.S. Getty ImagesThis is not the first World Cup final to take place in the United States. The first was staged at the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in 1994.It brought together two proud and storied footballing nations in Brazil and Italy. After 120 goalless minutes, the match went to a penalty shootout, which Brazil won 3-2.It secured Brazil’s fourth World Cup title and was the first final in the competition’s history to be decided on penalties.Can this match live up to the last World Cup final? Getty ImagesThe World Cup final in Qatar four years ago was one of the most-watched sporting events in television history — and it certainly did not disappoint.In fact, it must surely rank among the greatest finals ever played in any football competition.With 10 minutes remaining, Argentina led France 2-0 and appeared to be cruising towards victory after a largely one-sided contest.Then Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the space of 97 seconds to bring the final spectacularly to life.Lionel Messi restored Argentina’s lead with his second goal in extra time, but Mbappe completed his hat-trick in the 118th minute to send a World Cup final to penalties for only the third time.Argentina won the shootout 4-2 and Messi finally lifted the trophy he had craved above all others.Controversy surrounding today’s venue Getty ImagesMetLife Stadium is a controversial choice to host the 2026 World Cup final.Few would question New York City’s status as a host city — it is the venue itself that has proved contentious.Concerns about the pitch, the difficulty of travelling to and from the stadium and the availability of better alternatives — most notably the Estadio Azteca — have made the final’s location a regular talking point throughout the tournament.On the other hand, MetLife Stadium has staged some terrific matches. The most recent was Norway’s 2-1 victory over Brazil — one of the biggest upsets of the knockout stage — while the venue has also welcomed England, France and Morocco.Here is the full list of matches staged at MetLife Stadium:June 13: Brazil 1-1 MoroccoJune 16: France 3-1 SenegalJune 22: Norway 3-2 SenegalJune 25: Ecuador 2-1 GermanyJune 27: England 2-0 PanamaJune 30 (round of 32): France 3-0 SwedenJuly 5 (round of 16): Norway 2-1 BrazilMetLife Stadium joins group of final hosts Getty ImagesHome to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, MetLife Stadium will stage the most high-profile sporting event in its history today.In doing so, it will join a distinguished list of World Cup final venues. Here are the five most recent:2022: Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar2018: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia2014: Estadio de Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil2010: Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa2006: Olympiastadion, Berlin, GermanyWhere is the final taking place? Getty ImagesMetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, has the honour of hosting the World Cup final.For the duration of the tournament, it has been temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium.It has already staged seven matches, beginning with Brazil and Morocco’s 1-1 draw — one of five group-stage games held at the venue.In the knockout phase, MetLife Stadium hosted France’s 3-0 victory over Sweden in the round of 32, followed by Norway’s surprise 2-1 win over Brazil in the round of 16.Subscribe to The Athletic The AthleticThere is no better time to be a sports fan.The World Cup may be drawing to a close, but that does not mean the rest of the sporting world is slowing down. The MLB regular season continues, with the trade deadline approaching, while the NBA and NHL off-seasons are in full swing and NFL training camps are just around the corner.The college football season will also begin soon — and do not forget about the new Premier League campaign or tennis’ US Open.The Athletic is the best place to find high-quality sports journalism. Subscribe here to access our award-winning coverage across a wide range of sports.How to watch the World Cup final? Getty ImagesHere is where you can watch today’s World Cup final. U.S.: FOX, Fubo (try for free)UK: BBCCanada: TSNAustralia: SBSWhat time is the World Cup final? Getty ImagesThe World Cup final kicks off at 3pm ET (noon PT).That is 4pm in Argentina, 9pm in Spain and 8pm in the UK.Welcome to our live coverage today Getty ImagesHello and welcome to The Athletic’s live coverage of today’s 2026 World Cup final between Spain and reigning champions Argentina.Yes, we’ve made it. The grandest event in international football is down to two teams, with just one match remaining to decide who will lift the trophy.Spain are aiming to win their first World Cup since 2010, having stifled France in a 2-0 semi-final victory.Argentina, meanwhile, are seeking to retain the trophy after a dramatic run to the final, repeatedly scoring in stoppage time or extra time to secure knockout-stage victories. They came from behind to beat England 2-1 in the semi-final.Today’s match promises to be special. We look forward to bringing you all the sights and sounds, from the pre-match build-up and team news to minute-by-minute commentary and post-match analysis.