The 2026 FIFA World Cup reaches its conclusion Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where defending champions Argentina face reigning European champions Spain in a final that carries weight on both sides of the ball.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET. The match airs on Fox in English and Telemundo in Spanish, with streaming available through Fox One, Peacock, DirecTV, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV.
Argentina are chasing a feat no men’s team has pulled off since Brazil in 1962: retaining the World Cup. Spain, winners of Euro 2024, arrive on a 37-game unbeaten run. The Guardian notes this is the first World Cup final ever to pit the reigning champions of Europe against the reigning champions of South America — a collision that took longer to materialize than it should have.
Lionel Messi, now 38, has scored eight goals at this tournament and remains the engine of an Argentine side that has won 14 consecutive matches. His performance in the semifinal against England drew effusive praise; the Guardian described it as “the latest in a series of mind-blowing World Cup performances.” Four years ago, Messi had never scored in a World Cup knockout game. That asterisk is gone.
Spain’s path has been steadier. Manager Luis de la Fuente has built a squad the Guardian calls “a triumph for teamwork in the age of the galactico,” and their semifinal dismantling of France was their most complete performance of the tournament. Spain’s route to the final included tougher fixtures; Argentina’s included more drama — a 3-2 quarterfinal escape against Egypt that ignited a firestorm.
That Egypt match is where the trouble started. Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan called the game “unfair” and said his team “suffered injustice” after referees voided an Egyptian goal and declined to investigate a potential Argentine foul. Hassan suggested FIFA “wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.” The Egyptian Football Association issued a statement saying it “cannot remain silent” over decisions that “directly influenced the course of the game.”
Social media did the rest. AI-generated images of Messi dressed as a princess alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino spread across platforms. One X post accusing Infantino of having “successfully taken out all of Messi’s competition” drew more than a million views. A TikTok liked over two million times baselessly accused Messi of paying “millions” for extra penalty kicks. Critics have dubbed him “FIFA’s princess” — a label that dates to the 2022 World Cup but gained traction this summer.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni brushed it off. “Honestly, people have been saying those kinds of things about Argentina for a very long time,” he said. “Social media magnifies everything. That’s where the debates begin. But there hasn’t been any favoritism.” FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina was blunter: “Unfounded allegations have no place in our sport.”
The Argentina-Egypt controversy also took a bizarre turn when the Argentine Football Federation said it was investigating a potential hack of its systems after mass emails were sent to reporters demanding “justice” for Egypt and calling Argentina’s win a product of “corrupt calls.”
On the tactical side, the Guardian expects Argentina to start Rodrigo De Paul and Nicolás González — both impactful off the bench against England — in place of Giuliano Simeone. Spain are unlikely to change much after their comprehensive semifinal win.
A combined XI published by Yahoo Sports, selecting solely on tournament form, left out Spain’s Lamine Yamal and Pedri. Enzo Fernández got the midfield nod over Fabián Ruiz, and Mikel Oyarzabal was chosen ahead of Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez. Sometimes the tape doesn’t care about your résumé.
The closing ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. ET, featuring performances from Nicole Scherzinger, Laura Pausini, and Robbie Williams, with Jennifer Hudson singing the U.S. national anthem before kickoff.
Sources:
- The combined XI for the Spain-Argentina final — Yahoo Sports
- Why Some Accuse FIFA Of Favoring Argentina In World Cup Final — Yahoo Sports/Forbes
- Spain v Argentina: World Cup 2026 final – live — The Guardian
- Spain vs Argentina LIVE: FIFA World Cup 2026 final — Al Jazeera
- World Cup Watch Thread: Final | Spain vs Argentina — Yahoo Sports
- FIFA World Cup Final 2026 Livestream — Yahoo Sports/Variety