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 its spot in the final following a 2-0 win over France at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday. Argentina clinched its spot with a 2-1 win 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 full-circle moment in football history. After winning a charity raffle organized by Diario Sport 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 following the 2024 Euros.
Almost 20 years after that photo shoot, the baby from the photo and the legend himself are destined to face off on the international stage. Here's everything to know about Spain vs. Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Following a scoreless draw against Cape Verde to open group stage play, Spain has won six straight and neutralized each of its opponents in the knockout rounds. Spain routed Austria 3-0 in the round of 32, followed by a 1-0 win over Portugal in the round of 16 to send Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. packing. Spain finally conceded, but Mikel Marino scored his second winning goal in as many games in a 2-1 win over Belgium in the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal win over Belgium also saw the only goal Spain conceded over the course of the tournament. Tuesday against France in the semifinal, Spain was clearly the dominant team and cruised to a 2-0 victory over Les Bleus. For La Roja, it's onto the World Cup final.
Argentina maintained a perfect record prior to the final, but it has been far from easy for the defending world champions. Argentina began the tournament in Group J with routs over Algeria and Austria, capped off by a 3-1 win over Jordan. Argentina then narrowly advanced through the knockout stage with a 3-2 win against Cape Verde in extra time in the round of 32, a 3-2 victory over Egypt in the round of 16, and a 3-1 overtime win against Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
Argentina earned its place in the final by defeating England, 2-1, in the semifinals on Wednesday. Lamine Yamal might not appear on the scoresheet to be one of the key players to watch his first World Cup campaign. After scoring a goal in Spain's 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the group stage, Yamal did not register a goal contribution in the subsequent matches, a contrast with his form at Euro 2024 and the 2025 UEFA Nations League.
However, Yamal has shown signs of progression since returning from a hamstring injury suffered before the tournament and is still a big part of Spain’s offense. "Every time he gets the ball, there's this real fear in the French team," Landon Donovan said after his performance in the semifinals. If Yamal can continue to instill fear in defenders in the final, Spain will have a strong opportunity to lift the trophy Sunday.
Lionel Messi has continued to break records in what is his sixth World Cup appearance. Messi leads the tournament with eight goals, racking up his career total to 21, making him the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history. Messi picked up a pair of assists against England.
How To Watch Spain vs. Argentina When: Sunday, July 19, 3 p.m. ET Where: New York New Jersey Stadium TV: FOX Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One
