Forty-eight nations began the tournament, and two are left. Spain, the European champions, meet the reigning World Cup holders Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, in the showpiece that closes out the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is the first time the two countries have met in a World Cup final, and the first time they have gone head to head for a major senior trophy.
Spain arrive as the tournament's most controlled side, unbeaten in 37 matches and having conceded only once in seven games. Argentina arrive as its great survivors, dragged through extra time and stoppage time again and again by a 39-year-old captain who refuses to let their reign end. One team is chasing a second world title, the other a fourth and a piece of history no side has managed in more than sixty years. Here is everything you need to know before kick-off.
Spain vs Argentina: match details
| Match | Spain vs Argentina (2026 FIFA World Cup final) |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday 19 July 2026 |
| Kick-off (UK) | 8:00pm BST (3:00pm ET) |
| Venue | MetLife Stadium, staged as the New York New Jersey Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Capacity | 82,500 (the largest stadium at the tournament) |
| UK TV | Live on BBC One and ITV1, with streaming on BBC iPlayer and ITVX (STV and STV Player in Scotland) |
| Referee | Slavko Vinčić |
The third-place play-off between France and England is played the day before, on Saturday 18 July. The final itself will feature a Super Bowl-style half-time show, a first for the fixture, and FIFA has confirmed that US president Donald Trump is expected to attend and present the trophy.
How Spain reached the final
Spain's run has been built on control and a miserly defence. Luis de la Fuente's side opened Group H with a flat goalless draw against tournament debutants Cape Verde, then answered the criticism emphatically: a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia and a 1-0 victory over Uruguay sealed top spot and sent the South Americans home.
The knockout rounds hardened the pattern. Austria were brushed aside 3-0, Portugal were edged 1-0 by a 90th-minute Mikel Merino strike that ended Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career, and Belgium were beaten 2-1 in the quarter-final, the only match in which Spain conceded all tournament. In the semi-final they produced arguably their most complete performance, a 2-0 win over pre-tournament favourites France, with Mikel Oyarzabal converting an early penalty and Pedro Porro finishing a flowing move after the break. Six clean sheets in seven games tell the story of why they are favourites.
How Argentina reached the final
Argentina's defence of the trophy has been the opposite of serene. Lionel Scaloni's side topped their group in comfort, with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick against Algeria and later moving past Miroslav Klose as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer. Since then, though, they have lived on the edge.
The holders needed extra time to see off Cape Verde 3-2 in the round of 32, came from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16, and required extra time again to overcome Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-final. The semi-final against England followed the same script: trailing to an Anthony Gordon opener with five minutes left, Argentina struck twice through Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, both goals created by Messi, to win 2-1. They bend, but they have not broken.
Head-to-head record
The two nations have met only once before at a World Cup, in the 1966 group stage, when Argentina won 2-1. They have not faced each other at all since a March 2018 friendly in Madrid, a match Spain won 6-1, and Spain have taken four of the last six meetings between the sides. A meeting had been due in the March 2026 Finalissima, the clash of European and South American champions, but that fixture was called off, which makes Sunday the first time the countries have decided a major senior title against one another.
Key players
Lionel Messi
At 39, the captain is still the difference. Messi leads the 2026 Golden Boot race with eight goals and has added the assists that rescued Argentina against England, taking his career World Cup tally to 21 goals going into the final. Whatever happens, this is expected to be his last World Cup match.
Lamine Yamal
The 19-year-old has carried a hamstring problem but remains central to everything Spain do from the right flank. His movement won the penalty that beat France. Sunday pits him directly against Messi, a left-footed, Barcelona-schooled forward from a different generation, for the first time.
The supporting casts
Mikel Oyarzabal has been Spain's most reliable finisher, with Rodri anchoring midfield and Merino a habit of late winners. For Argentina, Lautaro Martinez and Enzo Fernandez have provided the knockout-round goals when Messi has turned creator.
What is at stake
For Spain, victory would bring a second world title, sixteen years after their 1-0 win over the Netherlands in South Africa in 2010, and would extend an unbeaten run that already matches Italy's record of 37 games for the longest in men's international football. It would also be a second final appearance for a country that reached the last stage for the first time only in 2010.
For Argentina, the stakes are historic. This is their seventh World Cup final, a total bettered only by Germany, and a fourth title would follow their triumphs of 1978, 1986 and 2022. No nation has retained the trophy since Brazil in 1962, so back-to-back crowns would put this side alongside the game's greatest teams. You can see how every showpiece has finished on our full record of FIFA World Cup final matches, and where Messi now sits among the game's marksmen on our list of the highest World Cup goalscorers.
Prediction and odds
The bookmakers make Spain clear favourites to lift the trophy, and the prediction markets agree, pricing La Roja at roughly a 58 per cent chance against Argentina's 42 per cent. The three-way market for the 90 minutes reflects that same lean, though the gap is far from decisive.
| Outcome (90 minutes) | Indicative price |
|---|---|
| Spain to win | around 6/5 |
| Draw | around 2/1 |
| Argentina to win | around 13/5 |
Odds are indicative, vary by bookmaker and move constantly. Always check current prices before betting.
The numbers point to a tight, low-scoring game. Spain have outscored opponents 13-1 across the tournament and kept six clean sheets, which is why the under 2.5 goals market has been popular with analysts. Argentina's answer, as ever, is that they find a way when it matters, and that in Messi they hold the one player capable of settling any match with a single moment. Spain's structure against Argentina's resilience is the contest that will decide the 2026 World Cup. You can follow the closing stages and every result on our World Cup 2026 fixtures and stats page.
Spain vs Argentina World Cup final: FAQs
The most common questions about the 2026 World Cup final, answered below.
When is the 2026 World Cup final?
The final is on Sunday 19 July 2026, kicking off at 8:00pm UK time (3:00pm ET) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
What channel is the World Cup final on in the UK?
The final is shown live on both BBC One and ITV1, with free streaming on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. Viewers in Scotland can also watch on STV and STV Player.
Have Spain and Argentina ever met in a World Cup final?
No. This is the first World Cup final between the two nations. Their only previous World Cup meeting came in the 1966 group stage, when Argentina won 2-1.
Who are the favourites for the 2026 World Cup final?
Spain are the favourites with the bookmakers and prediction markets, largely on the strength of a 37-match unbeaten run and a defence that has conceded only once at the tournament. Argentina are strong outsiders as the reigning champions.
What would each team achieve by winning?
Spain would claim a second world title, after 2010. Argentina would win a fourth, after 1978, 1986 and 2022, and become the first nation to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.