World Cup Final 2026: Everything You Need to Know

On Sunday, Argentina and Spain will play each other in the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It is the first time in World Cup history that the champion of South America takes on the champion of Europe in the final. Lionel Messi, Argentina's superstar, hopes to lead his team to back-to-back World Cup titles. Spain wants to prove it is the best team on the planet.

Both teams are the top two in FIFA's world rankings. Argentina are the reigning World Cup champions after beating France in 2022, and they also won the 2024 Copa America. Spain won the 2024 European Championship and have only given up one goal in seven games at this tournament. The margin between these two teams could not be smaller.

Spain had a smooth tournament run, winning all four knockout games without needing extra time. They beat Austria, Portugal, Belgium, and France by a combined score of 8-1. Young star Lamine Yamal, who is just 19, has been key for Spain. Midfielder Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, also plays a big role.

Argentina's road to the final was full of drama. They came back from 2-0 down against Egypt in the Round of 16 and needed extra time to beat Cape Verde and Switzerland. Messi started the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria and has eight goals and four assists so far. His team keeps finding a way to win no matter what.

The final kicks off at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. MetLife Stadium was chosen to host the match in February 2024, beating out AT&T Stadium in Dallas. FIFA president Gianni Infantino was a key part of that decision. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said it was 'a hell of a battle' to try to win the hosting rights.

The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world. The 2022 final alone had 1.42 billion viewers globally. The Super Bowl is the biggest event in the U.S., but it peaked at about 138 million viewers last year — far fewer than the World Cup. FIFA expects to earn a record $13 billion between 2023 and 2026, mostly because of the World Cup.

The game lasts 90 minutes, with two 45-minute halves and a 15-minute break. Extra time is added at the end of each half for stoppages like injuries or video review calls. There are also three-minute water breaks midway through each half, and that time gets added on too. If tied after 90 minutes, teams play extra time, and then a penalty shootout if needed.

Several awards will be given out after the match. The Golden Boot goes to the top scorer — Messi and France's Kylian Mbappe are both tied with eight goals. The Golden Ball goes to the best player of the whole tournament, which Messi won in 2022. There is also a Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper and a Young Player Award for the best player aged 21 or under.

Tickets sold out quickly and became very expensive. Upper-deck seats started at $2,790 but rose to $5,785 by April. Some front-row seats cost as much as $32,970. Fans without tickets can only try resale sites like StubHub, where prices go up and down based on demand.

The closing ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m. ET, before kickoff. Performers include Tom Cruise, Robbie Williams, and IShowSpeed. The final will also have the World Cup's first-ever halftime show, featuring stars like Post Malone, Madonna, Shakira, Burna Boy, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Gustavo Dudamel. President Trump is expected to attend and help hand the trophy to the winning team.