After 60 years, Spain and Argentina will face each other again in the FIFA World Cup 2026. This will be the first World Cup final clash between the two teams. The match will be played at 12:30 AM IST at the New Jersey Stadium in New York.
Spain will aim to become World Champion for the second time after 2010. On the other hand, defending champions Argentina will have the opportunity to win the trophy for the fourth time and claim their second consecutive World Cup. If they win, Argentina will become the third team after Italy (1938) and Brazil (1962) to win two consecutive World Cups.
About 19 years ago, Messi held Yamal in his arms
The biggest story of this final is that of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal. About 19 years ago, in a charity photoshoot for Barcelona, Messi, who was 20 years old at the time, held three-month-old Yamal in his arms and bathed him. Today, the same Yamal will face Messi for the first time at the international level. This picture went viral in 2024 and is now one of the most talked-about stories in football history.
In 2007, during a charity calendar photoshoot in the Camp Nou dressing room, 20-year-old Lionel Messi held 6-month-old Lamine Yamal in his arms. Now both will face each other in the World Cup final.
Messi aims to surpass Mbappe in Golden Boot race
Messi aims to win the Golden Boot race and surpass Kylian Mbappe (10). He has scored 8 goals and made 4 assists in this World Cup. On the other hand, Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal is the team’s top scorer with 5 goals, while 19-year-old Yamal has been the tournament’s most impactful winger with 30 successful dribbles.
Both teams are level
So far, 14 matches have been played between the two teams. Both have won 6-6 matches, and 2 matches ended in a draw. In the World Cup, they have met only once so far. In 1966, Argentina defeated Spain 2-1. Their last encounter was in a friendly match in 2018, where Spain defeated Argentina 6-1.
Spain conceded only one goal throughout the tournament
Luis de la Fuente’s team started with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde. After that, Spain secured a spot in the final by winning six consecutive matches. The team defeated Austria, Portugal, Belgium, and France 2-0 in the semi-finals.
Throughout the tournament, Spain conceded only one goal. Goalkeeper Unai Simon set a record for the most clean sheets in a single World Cup season with six. Meanwhile, captain Rodri completed a record 648 successful passes.
Argentina in the final with seven consecutive wins
Defending champions Argentina defeated Algeria, Austria, and Jordan in the group stage. After that, they defeated Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, and England to reach the final for the second consecutive time.
A 3-2 victory after trailing 0-2 against Egypt and a 2-1 victory after trailing against England in the semi-final showed the team’s champion mentality. Argentina has won seven consecutive matches and scored the most goals (19) in this World Cup.
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