Spain will meet defending champions Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. The two football giants have dominated the tournament and will contest for sport's greatest prize after taking markedly different routes to the showpiece.
Spain booked their place first with a commanding 2-0 defeat of France in Dallas. The victory extended their impressive streak of not losing in knockout matches.
Argentina secured their spot 24 hours later, battling past England 2-1 in a tense encounter. One more win will see them retain the World Cup trophy.
The final promises a compelling narrative as Lionel Messi will face Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal in a senior international match for the first time. The matchup has captivated the world due to an extraordinary photograph linking the pair.
A UNICEF charity calendar shoot arranged by Diario Sport captured Messi holding and bathing Yamal when the youngster was an infant. The image gained fresh attention during Euro 2024 after Yamal's father posted it online.
The picture has since become one of football's most celebrated images. Nearly two decades after it was taken, both men will now compete on opposite sides of a World Cup final.
Spain proved themselves the tournament's most reliable side. After a goalless opening against Cape Verde, they won their next six games consecutively.
La Roja demolished Austria 3-0 in the round of 32. They then disposed of Portugal 1-0 in the last 16.
They edged Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals before dismantling France with a 2-0 semi-final victory. Remarkably, they've given up just one goal throughout the entire competition.
Argentina's title defence unfolded with far greater drama. Coach Lionel Scaloni's team breezed through group play, beating Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
The knockout rounds tested them severely. They needed extra time to edge Cape Verde in the round of 32 and repeated the struggle against Egypt in the last 16.
Switzerland pushed them to extra time in the quarter-finals. Argentina finally defeated England 2-1 in the semi-finals to reach a second straight World Cup final.
