Spain vs Argentina FIFA World Cup final: Team news, prediction and lineups

play Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificWorld CupMiddle EastExplainedOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomySportHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftWorld Cup 2026LIVE: France vs EnglandWorld Cup finalGoals and reactionResults and Fixturescaret-rightSport|World Cup 2026Spain vs Argentina FIFA World Cup final: Team news, prediction and lineupsStars Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal clash at the biggest match of the biggest World Cup in history. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoArgentina's forward Lionel Messi is going to be the oldest outfield player to feature in a World Cup final [File: Roberto Schmidt/AFP]By Manasi PathakPublished On 19 Jul 202619 Jul 2026Who: Spain vs Argentina What: FIFA World Cup 2026 final Where: New York-New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States When: Sunday at 3pm (19:00 GMT) How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 15:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream. Chaos vs calm. Godfather vs heir. World number one vs world number two. The storylines could not be any better. As the sun shines on the New York skyline, football’s biggest stage gets ready for its perfect closing act: the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. It is a gift for the football purists, a clash of philosophies, if you will – Argentina, the reigning champions who have made a habit of embracing the suffering, and Spain, the European winners who have taught the world a masterclass in control. On one hand is the unstoppable, almost unnatural force of Lionel Messi – whose movements on the field are no less than spells from a magic wand – and on the other is Lamine Yamal, the teen prodigy whose flair on the field and flamboyant personality off it show signs of a superstar in the making. So when the confetti falls and the fireworks erupt, will it be Argentina lifting a historic second straight world title, or will the golden generation of Spain bring back joy after 16 years of waiting? Here’s all to know about the seismic showdown: Spain topped Group H with seven points, beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay and drawing with Cape Verde. They began their knockout campaign with a 3-0 thrashing of Austria in the round of 32 before beating Portugal 1-0 with a late goal in an Iberian football derby in the round of 16. Their route to the semifinals was confirmed with a late 2-1 win over Belgium, and then they stunned favourites France, taming their attack to win the semifinal 2-0. Argentina had a strong showing in the first round, topping Group J by beating Algeria, Austria and Jordan. In the round of 32, they were pushed to their limits before squeezing past Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time, and came from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in a controversial last-16 contest which drew allegations of officiating bias. Against Switzerland in the quarterfinals, they again played a full 120 minutes before securing a 3-1 win and broke English hearts with a late 2-1 comeback win in a highly charged semifinal encounter. If there were not already enough new records Messi has made in the past month, the 39-year-old diminutive forward is set to add another to his tally – the oldest outfield player to feature in a World Cup final. Leo – as Argentinians commonly call him – has not spoken about his future, but with an illustrious career, headlined by his 2022 World Cup triumph, this year’s tournament seems to be his last, especially if he fulfils a rare back-to-back World Cup title dream. “He has made history. He is a legend,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said of Messi, one of the greatest players to have graced the football field. A decade ago, frustrated after a Copa America final loss to Chile, his fourth defeat in a final for Argentina, Messi hung up his boots. The narrative then centred around the fact that despite all his success at the club level, international glory had eluded Messi. But fast forward to 2026, the Argentina captain has led his team to successive World Cup finals and is bidding for his first Golden Boot – a twist of fate even Messi would not have imagined. “To have been able to get to a final in the way that he has in this moment, at the age of 39, I think it is incredible,” Scaloni added. “That is why I said we should enjoy having him, because look at what happened with Diego [Maradona] and how we ended up missing him. “We still have Leo, and we should appreciate that. He is the historic figure and the legend, as are all these players who have given us these marvellous years.” The little magician from Rosario will lead Argentina’s charge on Sunday, as La Albiceleste aim to become just the third team in the tournament’s history to retain the World Cup after Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962). Unlike Argentina, whose game largely depends on the individual brilliance of Messi, Spain are a team built solidly on the collective. La Roja love to keep the ball and suppress the attacking potential of any opponent. Their organised, sturdy defence has kept six clean sheets, already the most by any side at a single World Cup tournament, and leaked just one goal en route to the final. On Sunday, Spain will carry more hunger than fear against Argentina, “the team to beat”, as described by captain Rodri. “We’ve been through a gradual process of growth, where we’ve seen a team mature over the last few years,” Rodri said. “This team and this ⁠generation were going to make a name for themselves … and now reaching the final of a World Cup. “So we’re pleased with the journey the team has taken, but we’re not stopping there; our ambition goes much further.” The bookmakers’ favourite from the beginning, Spain have played like a side that knows best how to deal with pressure. They produced the performance of the tournament in their stunning semifinal defeat of France, silencing Les Blues’ valiant attack. Rodri said while that display was “one of the best” the current Spanish side had ever produced, they would need to scale new heights to defeat Argentina and clinch their first world title since 2010. “I think we have to raise the level because they are the champions. And I’m really confident that we can do [it],” he added. The Opta supercomputer views Spain as the favourites in the final, with a 45 percent probability of winning in 90 minutes. It predicts a 26 percent probability of Argentina winning in regulation time, while there is a 29 percent probability of the match going to extra time or penalties. Overall, Spain have a 59.56 percent chance of winning the 2026 World Cup, while Argentina have a 40.44 percent probability of retaining the title they won in Qatar four years ago. To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here. The World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium, home to two National Football League (NFL) teams: the New York Giants and the New York Jets. For the FIFA World Cup, the venue has temporarily been rebadged as New York-New Jersey Stadium. Built in 2010, this huge multipurpose stadium holds up to 82,500 spectators for football matches. The venue also hosted the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final and both semifinals. AccuWeather predicts mostly sunny and less humid weather for Sunday in New Jersey. Smoke from Canadian wildfires has blanketed much of the northeastern US, triggering ⁠health alerts. On Thursday, the air quality in New Jersey was rated “unhealthy for sensitive groups” by several air quality measurement platforms. But for Sunday, the US government’s official air quality monitoring site, airnow.gov, expects the air quality index (AQI) to be “moderate”. This will be only the second World Cup meeting between Spain and Argentina, with Argentina winning 2-1 in the group stages in 1966. No injuries reported in either camp. (4-2-3-1): Simon (goalkeeper); Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal (4-1-3-2): Martinez (goalkeeper); Molina, Romero, Lisandro, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: