The World Cup final will feature a compelling matchup between Argentina and Spain, with the championship match set for Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, secured its spot by defeating England 2-1 in a semifinal comeback victory. Spain advanced by beating France in the other semifinal.
Argentina, the tournament's highest-scoring team with 19 goals, is seeking its fourth World Cup title and aims to become the first nation to win back-to-back titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Spain, which won its first title in 2010, enters the final with the tournament's stingiest defense, having allowed only one goal. Spain's defensive prowess will be tested by Argentina's prolific offense.
This final pits the top two teams in FIFA's world rankings against each other: Argentina at No. 1 and Spain at No. 2. The match carries extra significance as it was originally planned as the Finalissima in Doha, Qatar, in March but was canceled due to security concerns in the Middle East.
A Tale of Two Stars
The final also presents a unique narrative involving generational stars Lionel Messi and Spain's Lamine Yamal. A widely shared photo from 2007 shows a young Yamal posing with Messi as a baby. Both players, left-footed talents who rose through Barcelona's ranks, will now face each other on the world's biggest stage.
Argentina's tournament record includes seven wins, zero draws, and zero losses, with 19 goals scored and 7 conceded. Their knockout stage victories came against Cape Verde (3-2), Egypt (3-2), Switzerland (3-1), and England (2-1).
Spain's record stands at six wins, one draw, and zero losses, with 13 goals scored and just 1 conceded. Their path to the final included wins over Austria (3-0), Portugal (1-0), Belgium (2-1), and France (2-0), along with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde in the group stage.
Both teams enter the final on significant unbeaten streaks. Spain has not lost in its last 37 matches across all competitions, a run that includes 28 wins and nine draws since a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in March 2024. Argentina is unbeaten in its last 13 World Cup matches, with 11 wins and two draws, dating back to their opening group stage loss in the 2022 tournament.