Spain -Argentina World Cup Final 2026: the way to the match, key players, forecasts

On Sunday, July 19, at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford (New Jersey, USA), the national teams of Spain and Argentina will meet in the final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The meeting will start at 22:00 Moscow time. Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic was appointed as the main referee of the match. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

The teams' path to the finals

Both teams approached the decisive match, confidently passing the playoff stage. In the semifinals, Spain beat France 2-0, and Argentina won a strong—willed victory over England 2-1. This final will be historic: for the first time, the reigning European champion (Spain) and the reigning world champion and the winner of the America's Cup (Argentina) will meet in the decisive match of the World Cup.

Argentina (the first place in the FIFA ranking) confidently began its performance at the World Championship, winning all three matches in the group stage: Algeria (3:0), Austria (2:0) and Jordan (3:1). In the 1/16 finals, Albiceleste defeated the debutants and one of the main openings of the Cape Verde tournament with great difficulty, winning 3-2 only in extra time, and in the 1/8 finals with a similar score, having won back from 0:2, the Argentines passed Egypt. At the quarterfinals stage, Lionel Scaloni's team passed Switzerland with a final result of 3:1.

The Spaniards started with an unexpected draw with the debutants of the Cape Verde tournament (0-0), after which they won five victories in a row. In the playoffs, the Red Fury defeated Austria (3:0), beat Portugal (1:0) and in the quarterfinals they won 2-1 against Belgium thanks to a goal by Mikel Merino in the 88th minute. In addition, the Spanish national team has not lost in regular time for 37 consecutive matches.

From Yamal to Velikiye: the main intrigues of the 2026 World Cup finals

Argentina and Spain will compete not only for the World Cup, but also for a place in the history of world football.

Key figures: Messi vs. Yamal

Argentine striker Lionel Messi is coming to the finals in brilliant form. He is the top scorer of the tournament (eight goals) and the second assistant (four assists), with a total of 33 shots and 21 created chances. Messi also set a record by scoring or providing an assist in 13 consecutive World Cup matches and became the oldest player in the history of the World Cup semi-finals. In the final against Spain, he will face the country where he spent most of his club career. His motivation is maximum: victory will make Argentina the first team since 1962 to defend the title of world champions.

Barcelona's young star Lamin Yamal represents a new generation of Spanish football. He scored one goal in this tournament, and his influence on the game goes far beyond statistics. In the semifinals, it was he who earned the penalty, which was converted by striker Mikel Oyarzabal. However, there is a reason for concern before the finale.: Yamal trained individually on the eve of the final due to problems with his left hip. His possible participation in the match remains questionable.

Spain's captain, Rodri, is a key figure in the midfield. It is he who provides balance and control, allowing the "red fury" to dominate its rivals. His role in organizing the game and destroying the opponent's attacks will be especially important in the final against the attacking line of Argentina. Albiceleste's important players remain midfielder Enzo Fernandez and forward Lautaro Martinez, whose goals against England ensured the team's entry into the finals.

Halftime show and closing ceremony

For the first time in the history of the World Cup finals, a full-fledged musical show similar to the Super Bowl will take place during the break. FIFA has announced that Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and the South Korean band BTS will be the headliners. Nigerian performer Burna Boy will also take the stage (he will perform the song Dai Dai, recorded especially for the tournament), Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the PS22 choir with the participation of Coldplay, and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin will direct the program. The show will last about 11 minutes.

The closing ceremony of the World Cup will begin 90 minutes before the final match (at 20:30 Moscow time). American actor Tom Cruise, singers Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and blogger IShowSpeed will take part in it. Emmy, Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson will perform the US national anthem in a special version.

Ticket price

The high cost of tickets for the final match of the World Cup caused a lot of discussion online. The minimum cost is about 684 thousand rubles. The price already includes all service charges. You will have to pay more than 8.9 million rubles for places near the field. The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rafael Luzan, in turn, expressed outrage at the organizers' pricing policy and called the ticket price a disgrace. At the same time, American leader Donald Trump received 10 tickets for the match from FIFA president Gianni Infantino with a total value of $15,000.

The main match of the summer: what to expect from the 2026 FIFA World Cup final

Most experts call France the main favorite of the 2026 World Cup

Favorites and predictions

The supercomputer of the British analytical company Opta still considers the Spanish national team to be the favorite for the final World Cup 2026 against the Argentine team. The chances of Spanish football players winning the title are estimated at 56.31%. In turn, the probability of the triumph of the national team of Argentina is 43.69%. Before the start of the tournament, the supercomputer also named the Spanish national team as the main favorite with a 16.1% chance of winning.