Only one match remains at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On the night of July 20 Kazakhstan time, Spain and Argentina will meet in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, near New York. Kickoff is at 00:00. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Last night the tournament got its bronze medalist. England beat France 6-4 in Miami in the highest-scoring match of the final stage. The French trailed 0-4, came back after a brace from Kylian Mbappe and a goal by Bradley Barcola, but England held on for the win. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick, and Jude Bellingham scored the final goal.
After the third-place match, the scoring race also changed. Mbappe brought his World Cup goal tally to 22, becoming the tournament's all-time top scorer, surpassing Lionel Messi. The Argentine has 21 goals before the final. To draw level with the Frenchman again, Messi needs to score once; to surpass him, at least twice.
There is also a separate race for the Golden Boot of the 2026 World Cup. Mbappe finished the tournament with 10 goals, while Messi has eight before the final. So the Argentine needs a brace to catch the French forward and a hat-trick to take the lead in goals at the current World Cup.
For Argentina, this final could be historic in a team sense as well. If Lionel Scaloni's team beats Spain, they will become only the third nation to win two consecutive World Cups. Previously, only Italy in 1934 and 1938, and Brazil in 1958 and 1962 have done it. No team has defended the title since.
Spain is going for their second World Cup. The Spaniards first won the tournament in 2010. At the current championship, Luis de la Fuente's team stands out for its reliability: in seven matches, they have conceded only one goal and have never trailed during a game.
Argentina has a different story – the experience of a team that knows how to get out of difficult situations. At this tournament, the Argentines have found themselves in uncomfortable positions several times but advanced thanks to character, squad depth, and Messi's decisions in key moments. In the semifinal against England, his passes led to goals by Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.
The final will also be a match of two generations. Messi and Lamine Yamal have long been linked by one of the most famous football photos of recent years. Almost 19 years ago, the future star of Spain, as a baby, appeared in a UNICEF charity photoshoot with Messi. It was just a picture for a calendar then, but now its participants will meet in the World Cup final.
Statistical models give a slight advantage to Spain. According to Opta, Spain's chances of winning in regular time are 45%, while Argentina's probability of victory is 26%. However, the form of both teams suggests a more even match: Spain has not lost 37 consecutive matches excluding penalty shootouts, and Argentina has won its last 14 matches.
The 23rd World Cup final tournament started on June 11. The global football forum is being held for the first time in three countries – the USA, Canada, and Mexico – and for the first time features 48 teams.
After the group stage, the two best teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams continued the fight. After four knockout stages, the finalists (Spain and Argentina) and the participants of the third-place match were determined, in which England beat France 6-4 in a tennis-like score.