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Spain and Argentina entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup as favorites to win the tournament; Now the two teams will meet in the final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.
Spain sealed their place in the final after a 2-0 victory over France at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday. Argentina secured their place with a 2-1 victory over England at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday.
For the first time in their careers, Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi will face off on the international stage in a closing-circle moment in football history.
After winning a charity raffle organized by Sports Diary and UNICEF, Lamine Yamal’s family earned a spot in a promotional photo shoot with a young Lionel Messi. The photo went viral after Yamal’s father shared it after Euro 2024. Almost 20 years after that photo shoot, the baby in the photo and the legend himself are destined to face off on the international stage.
Here you will find everything you need to know about Spain vs. Argentina in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spain’s path to the final
After a goalless draw against Cape Verde at the start of the group stage, Spain has won six games in a row and neutralized each of its opponents in the knockout rounds.
Spain defeated Austria 3-0 in the round of 32, followed by a 1-0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16 to send Cristiano Ronaldo and company packing their bags.
Spain eventually conceded, but Mikel Marino scored his second winning goal in as many games in a 2–1 victory over Belgium in the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal victory over Belgium also marked the only goal Spain conceded throughout the tournament.
On Tuesday against France in the semi-final, Spain was clearly the dominant team and recorded a 2-0 victory over Les Bleus. For La Roja, they are in the World Cup final.
Argentina maintained a perfect record heading into the final, but it hasn’t been easy for the defending world champions.
Argentina began the tournament in Group J with thrashings of Algeria and Austria, culminating in a 3-1 victory over Jordan. Argentina then narrowly advanced to the knockout stage with a 3–2 victory against Cape Verde in extra time in the round of 32, a 3–2 victory over Egypt in the round of 16, also in extra time, and a 3–1 victory against Switzerland in extra time in the quarterfinals.
Argentina earned its spot in the final by defeating England, 2-1, in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Key players
Lamine Yamal may not look like one of the key players to watch in his first World Cup campaign. But don’t count out the number one player on FOX Sports’ Top 100 World Cup Players.
After scoring a goal in Spain’s 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the group stage, Yamal did not register a goal in the following matches, in contrast to his form in Euro 2024 and UEFA Nations League 2025.
However, Yamal has shown signs of progression since returning from a hamstring injury suffered before the tournament and remains an important part of Spain’s offense. “Every time they get the ball, there’s real fear on the French team,” Landon Donovan said after Spain’s 2-0 victory over France in the semifinals.
If Yamal can continue to strike fear into defenders in the final, Spain will have a great chance to lift the trophy on Sunday.
Lionel Messi
Forward · Argentina
Lionel Messi has continued to break records in what is his sixth appearance at a World Cup. Messi leads the tournament with eight goals, accumulating a career total of 21, making him the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. Messi also picked up a pair of assists against England, adding to his all-time assist tally of 12.
Argentina have shown they can bend but not break, scoring late goals to ensure progress in the knockout stages, and with Messi at the helm, the defending champions can never be counted out.
How to watch Spain vs. Argentina
When: Sunday, July 19, 3 p.m. Eastern Time
Where: New York and New Jersey Stadium
television: FOX
Stream: Watch it three days free on FOX One
