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World Cup Final: Argentina, Spain brace for showdown today
Argentina will battle Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup finale showdown on Sunday, as the curtain closes on the first 48-team tournament in history.
Should Argentina emerge victorious, they would become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
Whereas the Spanish are pushing for a second title after their maiden victory in 2010.
Sunday’s showdown would likely be the final World Cup appearance for the 8th-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, often considered the greatest player of all time.
Argentina who are three-time champions of the tournament have displayed astonishing resilience in the face of defeat, with courageous comebacks during the ongoing 2026 tournament, recovering from 2-0 to 3-2 against Egypt in the round of 16, and mounting a dramatic 2-1 comeback in the semi-final against England.
The Spanish side has been somewhat flawless in the tournament, conceding one goal in their seven matches and beating France in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile England defeated France 6-4 to secure third place in the tournament, with Kylian Mbappe becoming the all-time leading scorer with 22 goals, just one ahead of Messi, who might reclaim the record on Sunday.
With Mbappe’s brace during the third place match, he became the tournament’s leading goal scorer with 10 goals, a title that Messi could claim should he secure a brace in today’s final, recording 8 goals already.
US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the finale at the 80,000-capacity MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, in company of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, leaders of all three host nations.
The event is also expected to see performances from Tom Cruise in the pre-game closing ceremony, and Madonna and Shakira in the half-time show, being the first in World Cup history.
The final will take place on Sunday 19 July at 8pm (BST), 3pm (ET).
