Spain and Argentina face off in New Jersey World Cup final
Spain squad
- Full squad
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1 David RAYA Goalkeeper
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2 Marc PUBILL Defender
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3 Alex GRIMALDO Defender
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4 Eric GARCIA Defender
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5 Marcos LLORENTE Defender
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6 Mikel MERINO Midfielder
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7 Ferran TORRES Forward
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8 Fabian RUIZ Midfielder
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9 GAVI Midfielder
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10 Dani OLMO Forward
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11 Yeremy PINO Forward
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12 Pedro PORRO Defender
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13 Joan GARCIA Goalkeeper
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14 Aymeric LAPORTE Defender
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15 Alex BAENA Midfielder
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16 RODRI Midfielder
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17 Nico WILLIAMS Forward
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18 Martin ZUBIMENDI Midfielder
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19 Lamine YAMAL Forward
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20 PEDRI Midfielder
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21 Mikel OYARZABAL Forward
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22 Pau CUBARSI Defender
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23 Unai SIMON Goalkeeper
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24 Marc CUCURELLA Defender
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25 Victor MUNOZ Forward
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26 Borja IGLESIAS Forward
Argentina squad
- Full squad
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1 Juan MUSSO Goalkeeper
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2 Marcos SENESI Defender
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3 Nicolas TAGLIAFICO Defender
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4 Gonzalo MONTIEL Defender
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5 Leandro PAREDES Midfielder
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6 Lisandro MARTINEZ Defender
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7 Rodrigo DE PAUL Midfielder
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8 Valentin BARCO Midfielder
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9 Julian ALVAREZ Forward
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10 Lionel MESSI Forward
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11 Giovani Lo Celso Midfielder
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12 Geronimo RULLI Goalkeeper
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13 Cristian ROMERO Defender
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14 Exequiel PALACIOS Midfielder
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15 Nico GONZALEZ Midfielder
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16 Thiago ALMADA Forward
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17 Giuliano SIMEONE Forward
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18 Nico PAZ Forward
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19 Nicolas OTAMENDI Defender
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20 Alexis MAC ALLISTER Midfielder
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21 Jose Manuel LOPEZ Forward
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22 Lautaro MARTINEZ Forward
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23 Emiliano MARTINEZ Goalkeeper
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24 Enzo FERNANDEZ Midfielder
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25 Facundo MEDINA Defender
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26 Nahuel MOLINA Defender
Spain and Argentina met in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, 19 July, with kick-off at 3pm Eastern Time. In the build-up, attention focused on Lionel Messi's involvement and on tactical decisions by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, while England had already secured third place after beating France in the earlier play-off.
The final took place under exceptionally tight security, with supporters reporting multi-hour queues to pass screening checks before entering the stadium. Organisers put the lengthy delays down to the scale of the occasion and the extra security measures introduced for the showpiece match, though no further details on crowd numbers or specific incidents were confirmed. No further coverage of the match itself, including its result, has been reported.
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In short
- Spain faced Argentina in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July
- Pre-match focus was on Messi's role and Spain's tactics under de la Fuente
- Fans faced multi-hour security queues; England took third place earlier
How this story developed
- 3 months ago Coverage reiterated the same pre-match and security details without adding new information, as no report of the match result or final crowd figures had yet emerged.
- 3 months ago Reports confirmed that fans faced multi-hour security queues to enter MetLife Stadium ahead of kick-off, which organisers attributed to the scale of the occasion and the extra screening measures put in place for the final.
- 3 months ago Spain and Argentina prepared to contest the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday 19 July at 3pm Eastern Time, with pre-match focus on Messi's involvement, De la Fuente's tactics and England's earlier third-place win over France.
Where outlets differ
Left-leaning outlets 1
Only here: spain, argentina, prepare, face
Centre outlets 1
Only here: trump, presence, means, hour, queues
Every side used: world, final
Headline columns compared word for word; nothing in them is AI-written.
Explained simply
Spain and Argentina are meeting in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the biggest match in international football, held every four years. The game is being played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, one of the host venues for this year's tournament, which the United States is staging jointly with Canada and Mexico. The winner will be crowned world champions.
Both teams have strong recent pedigree: Argentina, led by veteran forward Lionel Messi, are the reigning champions from the 2022 tournament in Qatar, while Spain, managed by Luis de la Fuente, have been among the form sides of this World Cup. England, meanwhile, finished third after beating France in the playoff for that spot, rounding out the closing stages of the competition.
Beyond the football, the final is one of the largest single sporting events ever staged in the United States, drawing huge crowds and requiring significant security and logistical planning. That scale is why arrangements around entry and screening at the stadium have become part of the story alongside the match itself.
Coverage · 2 sources
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