On Sunday, July 19, 2026, the NY/NJ Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. On one side, defending champion Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, seeks its third world title after 1978 and 2022. On the other, Spain led by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal aims for its second title since 2010.
Messi, who has scored eight goals in the tournament and is in contention for the Golden Boot, said on the eve of the final: "We will give it our all." The Argentine, making his final World Cup appearance for the albiceleste, was described by coach Lionel Scaloni as "the best footballer that the world has seen."
Spain arrives at the final with a 37-match unbeaten streak dating back to early 2024. Luis de la Fuente's side (28 wins, 9 draws in that span) has won six of seven tournament matches, with only an opening draw against Cape Verde. De la Fuente called the matchup "an amazing final between two superteams."
The final also provides the stage for a remarkable story: Messi and Lamine Yamal, who were photographed together nearly two decades ago when Yamal was a baby, will face each other in a World Cup final. Yamal, 17, is the rising star of Spanish and world football.
Argentina, the only team still unbeaten and untied in the tournament (7-0-0), has overcome several difficult moments: a 2-0 comeback against Egypt in the Round of 32, extra time against Switzerland and Cape Verde, and a 1-0 comeback against England in the semifinals. "We never stop fighting," Messi said.
The match will be played on artificial turf and the weather could be affected by smoke from Canadian wildfires. An attendance of 80,000 at the stadium and approximately two billion viewers worldwide are expected.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/messi-spain-argentina-world-cup-final-bd35b9beccfc120ec0a78fd72162f33c
- https://apnews.com/article/messi-argentina-world-cup-final-82ad1be062f7716d6107f4a001220b81
