Spain and Argentina face off in New Jersey World Cup final
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Finished
Spain squad
- Full squad
-
1 David RAYA
Goalkeeper -
2 Marc PUBILL
Defender -
3 Alex GRIMALDO
Defender -
4 Eric GARCIA
Defender -
5 Marcos LLORENTE
Defender -
6 Mikel MERINO
Midfielder -
7 Ferran TORRES
Forward -
8 Fabian RUIZ
Midfielder -
9 GAVI
Midfielder -
10 Dani OLMO
Forward -
11 Yeremy PINO
Forward -
12 Pedro PORRO
Defender -
13 Joan GARCIA
Goalkeeper -
14 Aymeric LAPORTE
Defender -
15 Alex BAENA
Midfielder -
16 RODRI
Midfielder -
17 Nico WILLIAMS
Forward -
18 Martin ZUBIMENDI
Midfielder -
19 Lamine YAMAL
Forward -
20 PEDRI
Midfielder -
21 Mikel OYARZABAL
Forward -
22 Pau CUBARSI
Defender -
23 Unai SIMON
Goalkeeper -
24 Marc CUCURELLA
Defender -
25 Victor MUNOZ
Forward -
26 Borja IGLESIAS
Forward
Argentina squad
- Full squad
-
1 Juan MUSSO
Goalkeeper -
2 Marcos SENESI
Defender -
3 Nicolas TAGLIAFICO
Defender -
4 Gonzalo MONTIEL
Defender -
5 Leandro PAREDES
Midfielder -
6 Lisandro MARTINEZ
Defender -
7 Rodrigo DE PAUL
Midfielder -
8 Valentin BARCO
Midfielder -
9 Julian ALVAREZ
Forward -
10 Lionel MESSI
Forward -
11 Giovani Lo Celso
Midfielder -
12 Geronimo RULLI
Goalkeeper -
13 Cristian ROMERO
Defender -
14 Exequiel PALACIOS
Midfielder -
15 Nico GONZALEZ
Midfielder -
16 Thiago ALMADA
Forward -
17 Giuliano SIMEONE
Forward -
18 Nico PAZ
Forward -
19 Nicolas OTAMENDI
Defender -
20 Alexis MAC ALLISTER
Midfielder -
21 Jose Manuel LOPEZ
Forward -
22 Lautaro MARTINEZ
Forward -
23 Emiliano MARTINEZ
Goalkeeper -
24 Enzo FERNANDEZ
Midfielder -
25 Facundo MEDINA
Defender -
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.
- 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
New here? Start with this
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
- The Guardian — Spain and Argentina prepare to face off in World Cup final
- BBC Sport — Trump presence means two-hour queues for World Cup final
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