Argentina have a shot at winning their fourth World Cup and becoming the first team in 64 years to successfully defend their title when they play the FIFA World Cup 2026 final against Spain on Sunday.
Spain, meanwhile, are aiming to become the World Champions only for the second time in the history after they last tasted success in the global event 16 years ago. The European nation will be buoyed with the fact that when they won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, they were the reigning European champions — a title that they own currently after winning the UEFA Euros two years ago.
Argentina’s Road To The Final
The reigning champions of the world have endured a highly dramatic route to the final. The Lionel Scaloni-coached side produced a flawless group-stage campaign, winning all three matches. Captain Lionel Messi opened the tournament with a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria, followed it up with both goals in a 2-0 win against Austria, and added another in a 3-1 triumph over Jordan.
The knockout rounds tested the South American nation to the limit. Argentina survived a thrilling 3-2 extra-time victory over a resilient Cabo Verde in the Round of 32 before producing one of the comebacks of the tournament against Egypt. Trailing 2-0 until the 79th minute, the Albiceleste scored three goals to snatch a remarkable 3-2 victory.
Their quarter-final against Switzerland proved equally demanding. Locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes despite the Swiss being reduced to 10 men, Argentina finally broke through in extra time as Julián Álvarez produced a stunning strike before Lautaro Martínez sealed a 3-1 victory.
The defending champions once again showcased their resilience in the semi-final against England. Anthony Gordon’s second-half opener appeared to have put the Three Lions on course for the final, but Argentina responded in trademark fashion. Enzo Fernández equalised with a superb long-range effort before substitute Lautaro Martínez headed home the winner to complete yet another comeback.
Spain’s Road To The Final
Spain’s journey to the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, meanwhile, has been quieter yet highly efficient. La Roja were surprisingly held to a goalless draw by tournament newcomers Cabo Verde in their opening fixture but quickly found their rhythm thereafter. Luis de la Fuente’s side thrashed Saudi Arabia 4-0 before edging a spirited Uruguay 1-0 to seal top spot in the group.
The Spaniards then breezed past Austria with a convincing 3-0 victory in the Round of 32. Their route became far more demanding in the next two rounds, however, with Mikel Merino emerging as the hero on both occasions. The midfielder struck a late winner to eliminate Portugal 1-0 in the Round of 16 before repeating the feat in a dramatic 2-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium. The goal Belgium scored in that match remains the only one Spain have conceded throughout the tournament.
Spain have grown stronger with every passing game, and their commanding semi-final victory over France underlined why they entered the tournament as one of the favourites.
Match Time, Venue
The final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium. The match is set to kick-off at 12:30 a.m. Indian Standard Time on Monday.
Referee
Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic will officiate the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
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Head to Head
- Matches Played: 14
- Spain wins: 6
- Argentina wins: 6
- Draws: 2
The upcoming natch in New York will only be the second time that these two teams will be facing each other in a World Cup match. The last time this happened was 60 years ago at the 1966 World Cup in England. That game saw Argentina beat Spain by a scoreline of 2-1.
Form Guide (last five matches, most recent first):
- Spain: W-W-W-W-W
- Argentina: W-W-W-W-W
Spain
- Possible Starting 11: Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella; Rodrigo Hernandez, Fabian Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena; Mikel Oyarzabal.
- Substitutes: David Raya, Joan Garcia, Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Grimaldo, Martin Zubimendi, Pedri Gonzalez, Mikel Merino, Pablo Paez ‘Gavi’, Ferran Torres, Borja Iglesias, Victor Munoz, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino
- Coach: Luis de la Fuente
Argentina
- Possible Starting 11: Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Giuliano Simeone; Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez.
- Substitutes: Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso, Gonzalo Montiel, Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Valentin Barco, Valentin Barco, Lautaro Martinez, Thiago Almada, Nicolas Paz, Nicolas Gonzalez
- Coach: Lionel Scaloni
Players to Watch
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): The world’s eyes will be on Lionel Messi when he takes the field for this all-important game. The Argentina great has had a phenomenal World Cup, having scored eight goals and providing four assists.
- Lamine Yamal (Spain): The World Cup final could be the game where the Barcelona forward could come alive and showcase to the world why he is considered among the best footballers of his age.
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How To Watch Live Telecast?
The Argentina vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match will be televised live in India on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD television channels.
How To Watch Live Streaming?
The Argentina vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 Final game will be streamed live on the ZEE5 app and website in English, Malayalam, Bangla and Hindi.