Argentina has reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, marking their second consecutive appearance in the championship match. The team secured its spot by defeating England 2-1 in a semifinal showdown that saw a late surge and extra-time heroics.
Entering the match trailing 1-0 in the 55th minute, Argentina found the equalizer in the 85th minute from Enzo Fernández. Lautaro Martinez then scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, sealing Argentina's comeback win and advancing them to Sunday's final.
Argentina's path to the final has been characterized by resilience, including four consecutive comeback victories. The team has won all seven of its matches in the tournament. Their earlier victories included wins against Algeria, Austria, and Jordan in group play. In the knockout stages, Argentina needed extra time to defeat Cape Verde in the round of 32 and came from behind to beat Egypt in the round of 16. They again required extra time to advance past Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
In the final, Argentina will face Spain. This matchup will mark the second time the two nations have met on the World Cup stage. The game will feature star players such as Lionel Messi, 39, and Spain's 19-year-old Lamine Yamal.
This World Cup final could be Lionel Messi's last international tournament. Should he continue to play, he would be 43 years old during the 2030 World Cup, a age that would place him among the oldest players in tournament history.
Argentina is seeking its fourth World Cup title. The nation previously won the tournament in 1978, 1986, and most recently in 2022. Their 1978 victory was a 3-1 win over the Netherlands, while Diego Maradona led the team to a 3-2 triumph over West Germany in 1986. The 2022 final against France was decided by a penalty shootout.
Argentina has appeared in three other World Cup finals, losing to Uruguay in 1930, and to Germany in both 1990 and 2014.
Individually, Lionel Messi is currently tied with France's Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot award, with both players having scored eight goals. Messi leads the race due to having more assists, which serves as the primary tiebreaker. Messi has been given -250 odds to win the award, while Mbappé has +200 odds.