The Final for the 23rd quadrennial FIFA World Cup is being played tonight, 19 July 2026, at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Reigning European champions Spain are taking on reigning South American champions Argentina. Argentina are also the defending World Champions. Here are the starting line-ups.
SPAIN: Simón 23 – Porro 12, Cubarsí 22, Laporte 14, Cucurella 24 – Rodri 16 (CPT), Ruiz 8 – Yamal 19, Olmo 10, Baena 15 – Oyarzabal 21
ARGENTINA: E. Martínez 23 – Montiel 4, Romero 13, Li. Martínez 6, Tagliafico 3 – de Paul 7, Mac Allister 20, Fernández 24, González 15 – Messi 10 (CPT), Álvarez 9.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente made no changes from his Semi-Final starting 11 against France. His Argentine counterpart, Lionel Scaloni, however, has dropped Giuliano Simeone for Rodrigo De Paul at right midfield, despite de Paul having spent most of his playing career playing in the middle of the park. Defensive midfielder Leandro Paredes has also been left out in favour of Nicolás González on the left flank. Lautaro Martínez, who scored the winner against England in the Semi-Final, starts on the bench again.
Spain vs Argentina LIVE
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final is starting soon, and we will be bringing live coverage. Stay tuned.
The ball has been kicked off, and the game is underway. PLEASE REFRESH THE PAGE FOR UPDATES.
5th minute: Emiliano Martínez saves Lamine Yamal’s shot from close range from a tight angle.
12th minute: First corner of the game goes to Spain. Lisandro Martínez clears a cross into the box. No threat comes from the corner.
17th minute: Yamal’s low cross is collected by Emiliano Martínez in his six-yard box.
25th minute: Game is paused for hydration break.
Stats for Spain vs Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Final so far. Possession: Spain 62 per cent, Argentina 38 per cent. Shots: Spain 1 Argentina 0. Shots on target: Spain 1 Argentina 0. Corners: Spain 2 Argentina 0. Fouls: Spain 5 Argentina 3.
39th minute: Oyarzabal takes a shot from the edge of the box, but it’s too close to Martínez in the Argentinian goal, who dives to his left to collect it.
40th minute: Lisandro Martínez is booked.
43rd minute: Cucurella takes a low shot towards the bottom far corner from around 22 yards out from the left, but it goes wide.
44th minute: Injured and booked Lisandro Martínez is subbed off; Nicolás Otamendi comes in for him.
45th minute: Unai Simón comes out of his box to clear a throughball ahead of Lionel Messi.
4 minutes added time.
We break for halftime. It’s a goalless tie. The halftime show will feature performances by Shakira, Justin Bieber, Madonna, BTS, and more.
Stats for Spain vs Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Final so far. Possession: Spain 65 per cent, Argentina 35 per cent. Shots: Spain 3 Argentina 0. Shots on target: Spain 2 Argentina 0. Corners: Spain 2 Argentina 0. Fouls: Spain 7 Argentina 9.
Unai Simón and the Spanish defence have still only conceded one goal so far in the entire World Cup. 2006 FIFA World Cup winners Italy also made it to the final with one goal conceded as well. However, France had already scored against them in the first half in the Final.
Spain vs Argentina LIVE: Second Half
The ball has been kicked off, the game is underway again.
Argentina made their second substitution at half-time, with Paredes coming in for Nico González.
46th minute: Emiliano Martínez makes his third save in the Final, Álex Baena took a shot and hit the target.
48th minute: Argentina take their first corner in the game, but the ball goes out for a goal kick without any threat.
52nd minute: Paredes gets a yellow.
56th minute: Montiel makes a great clearance ahead of Cucurella in the middle of the Argentine box.
58th minute: Argentina head coach Scaloni makes another sub, player in: Nahuel Molina. Player out: Montiel.
62nd minute: Double substitution for Spain. Ferran Torres comes in for Oyarzabal, and Pedri comes in for Ruiz.
64th minute: Dani Olmo takes a shot from around 23 yards out, Emi Martínez spills it for a corner.
67th minute: Yamal crosses, Torres heads it on goal from the edge of the six-yard box, but Martínez makes another save, holding onto the ball too this time.
68th minute: The game is paused for the last hydration break of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Stats for Spain vs Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Final so far. Spain continue to dominate the game. Possession: Spain 64 per cent, Argentina 36 per cent. Shots: Spain 8 Argentina 0. Shots on target: Spain 5 Argentina 0. Corners: Spain 6 Argentina 1. Fouls: Spain 11 Argentina 13.
70th minute: Argentina are now all out of substitutions for regulation time. Romero comes off for Medina, and De Paul comes off for Simeone.
75th minute: Another double substitution for Spain. Nico Williams replaces Baena, and Mikel Moreno replaces Dani Olmo. Moreno has already scored two winning goals coming off the bench at this World Cup.
77th minute: Pedri takes a shot from the edge of the box, Martínez saves it.
81st minute: Yet another save by Martínez, this time diving to pick up Laporte’s header from the air. The shot came from around eight yards out. This brings the total number of Spanish shots that hit the target to 8, while Argentina are still at 0…
82nd minute: Yellow card for Enzo Fernández.
87th minute: A ball gets lobbed into the Argentina box, Torres takes a shot from first touch, but misses the near post wide.
Just like in the first half, 4 minutes of added time.
90+2nd minute: Simeone’s low cross is collected by Simón.
90+3rd minute: Williams takes a shot at the end of the counter, but Martínez parries it away.
90+3rd minute: RED CARD FOR ARGENTINA! Enzo Fernández is sent off with a second yellow for a foul on Cubarsí near the halfway line.
90+8th minute: Emi Martínez saves Lamine Yamal’s free kick at his far post from around 26 yards out.
Regulation time is over. We are heading into extra time.
This is the first FIFA World Cup final to end in 0–0 after 90 minutes since 2014, when Argentina lost 1–0 to Germany in extra time.
Stats for Spain vs Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Final in regulation time. Possession: Spain 66 per cent, Argentina 34 per cent. Shots: Spain 15 Argentina 0. Shots on target: Spain 10 Argentina 0. Corners: Spain 9 Argentina 1. Fouls: Spain 13 Argentina 19.
The ball has kicked off, the game is underway again.
93rd minute: Martínez tips away Williams’ header.
96th minute: Nico Williams finds the net, but the goal is disallowed for a foul by Merino on the Argentinian goalie.
99th minute: Spain can make no more subs in the final. Rodri comes off for Zubimendi, and Laporte comes off for Eric García.
102nd minute: Both sides are done with substitutions; Marcos Senesi comes in for Argentina, Álvarez comes off.
103rd minute: Dangerous header by Merino, but it goes just wide.
We break for halftime in extra time.
The ball has kicked off, the game is underway again.
106th minute: GOAL FOR SPAIN! FERRAN TORRES!
Nico Williams heads a cross back into the middle of the box, and Torres fires it into the roof of the net from around ten yards out with his first touch.
114th minute: Torres puts the ball into the Argentine net after a breakaway, but it is ruled offside.
115th minute: Messi tries to cross the ball into the box after a short corner play, but it lands on the outside of the roof of the net. It is chalked up as Argentina’s first attempt at goal.
120th minute: The ball is cleared off for a corner in the mouth of the Spanish goal.
5 minutes added time.
120+1st minute: Simeone takes a shot from around the PK spot after a corner but goes high.
IT IS OVER! SPAIN ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!
Spain has claimed their second FIFA World Cup title. Just like in 2010 against the Netherlands, they won the Final 1–0 after extra time.
Also, just like in 2010, a player from FC Barcelona scored the winner for the Spaniards. Back then, it was midfielder Andrés Iniesta; this time, it was winger/striker Ferran Torres.
Stats for Spain vs Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Final. Possession: Spain 65 per cent, Argentina 35 per cent. Shots: Spain 20 Argentina 2. Shots on target: Spain 12 Argentina 0. Corners: Spain 9 Argentina 4. Fouls: Spain 21 Argentina 25.
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