EAST RUTHERFORD — The tournament’s most prolific attack will meet its stingiest defense when defending champion Argentina faces Spain in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Lionel Messi and Argentina booked their place in the title match with another dramatic comeback, defeating England 2-1 in the semifinals after Spain eliminated France 2-0 a day earlier.
The final brings together the tournament’s highest-scoring team against the side that has conceded the fewest goals.
Argentina has scored a tournament-leading 19 goals in seven matches, while Spain has allowed just one goal throughout its run to the final.
Argentina is chasing a fourth World Cup title and aiming to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the trophy. Spain is seeking only its second world title after lifting the cup in 2010.
The final also offers a symbolic meeting between soccer’s present and future, with 39-year-old Messi taking on Spain’s teenage star Lamine Yamal.
The two share one of football’s most famous images after appearing together in a UNICEF photo shoot in 2007, when Messi held Yamal as a baby. Nearly two decades later, they will meet on the sport’s biggest stage with the World Cup on the line.
The matchup was originally expected to take place in March in the Finalissima between the South American and European champions, but the fixture in Doha was canceled because of regional security concerns.
Instead, the teams will now meet in the biggest match in international football.
How Spain reached the final
Spain enters the final unbeaten with six wins and one draw, scoring 13 goals while conceding only once.
La Roja opened the tournament with a scoreless draw against Cape Verde before defeating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 in the group stage.
In the knockout rounds, Spain eliminated Austria (3-0), Portugal (1-0), Belgium (2-1) and France (2-0).
How Argentina reached the final
Argentina has won all seven of its matches, scoring 19 goals and conceding seven.
The defending champions defeated Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0) and Jordan (3-1) in the group stage before overcoming Cape Verde (3-2), Egypt (3-2), Switzerland (3-1) and England (2-1) in the knockout rounds.
Unbeaten runs
Spain carries a 37-match unbeaten run into the final, recording 28 wins and nine draws since its last defeat in March 2024.
Argentina is unbeaten in its last 13 World Cup matches, with 11 victories and two draws dating back to its opening-game loss to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 tournament.
Early odds
Spain opened as the slight favorite to lift the trophy, with early betting markets listing La Roja at +120, while Argentina opened at +275. The odds for a draw after 90 minutes were set at +200.
Source: Saudi Gazette