2026 World Cup final… Spain and Argentina are a high-caliber summit to decide the world title
DUBAI, 18 JULY / WAM / The curtain will fall tomorrow, Sunday, on the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, when the teams of Argentina and Spain meet at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the final match of the 23rd edition of the tournament, and the first to be held with the participation of 48 teams, after witnessing, over the course of 104 matches, competitions full of surprises and records.
The final brings together Argentina, the World Cup champion, and Spain, the European champion, in a historic confrontation of a heavy caliber that brings together the two teams for the first time in the final match of the World Cup. It also brings back Argentine star Lionel Messi to face the Spanish national team, the country that witnessed the start of his football career and where he made his glory with Barcelona.
Spain is looking forward to winning its second world title after its only coronation in 2010, in its second appearance in the final match, while Argentina is competing in the seventh final in its history, seeking to win the fourth title and equal Germany and Italy in second place on the list of teams that won the most World Cup titles with 4 titles, behind Brazil, which holds the record with five titles.
The Argentine national team is also seeking to become only the third team to retain the title in two consecutive editions, after Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962).
The Spanish team made its way to the final steadily, after topping its eighth group, then surpassing Austria, Portugal and Belgium before clinching the semi-final summit against France with two unanswered goals, confirming its great development during the tournament.
The European champion conceded only one goal throughout his career, and he also kept a clean sheet in 6 matches, which is an unprecedented achievement in the history of the World Cup, and he did not delay in the result even for a single minute, relying on one of the strongest defensive systems in the tournament, as he recorded the lowest rate of shots on his goal and the lowest rate of expected goals against him.
Coach Luis de la Fuente’s team also enters the final with a series of 37 consecutive matches without losing in regular time, and aspires to hold the European record for the number of consecutive matches without defeat, in addition to enhancing its distinguished record in major finals, after winning 5 of the last 6 finals it played, including the World Cup and the European Cup.
On the other hand, the Argentine national team reached the final after a more difficult and exciting journey, which it opened with three victories in the group stage, before playing 4 elimination matches during which it needed extra time or a return in the score after the 75th minute, where it overcame Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland, then overturned its deficit against England in the semi-final to a 2-1 victory, confirming the character of the champion and his ability to decide in the last moments.
Argentina has a series of 14 consecutive victories in all competitions, and has achieved victory in all seven of its matches in the current World Cup, and is seeking to finish the tournament with a full score, while scoring goals in the last minutes was one of its most prominent weapons, after it scored 8 goals between the 76th and 90th minutes, which is the highest score in one edition of the World Cup, on par with Germany in the 1954 World Cup.
Attention is drawn to the individual conflict between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, as Messi shares the top scorer spot in the tournament with 8 goals, and also strengthened his record as the top scorer in World Cup history with a total of 21 goals.
On the other hand, Lamine Yamal continues to deliver an exceptional tournament, after becoming one of the most prominent stars in Spain. He and Messi top the list of the most successful players in dribbles during the tournament with 22 dribbles, compared to 25 for the Argentine star.
The Spanish national team also relies on its captain, Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored 5 goals in the tournament, while Lautaro Martinez stands out as a decisive offensive card after scoring influential goals in the knockout rounds.
In terms of direct confrontations, the 1966 World Cup match remains the only match between the two teams in the tournament, and it ended with Argentina winning 2-1, while the two teams are tied in total international confrontations with 6 wins each versus two draws, noting that the last meeting between them ended with Spain winning 6-1 in a friendly match in 2018.
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