Overview
- The final is scheduled for Sunday 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kick‑off in mid‑afternoon local time and global broadcast on multiple TV and streaming platforms.
- FIFA appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić to officiate the match and named the VAR team that will support the on‑field officials.
- Spain arrives with the tournament’s best defensive record, having conceded only one goal, and will rely on Rodri’s midfield control and full‑back projections to unsettle Argentina.
- Argentina go into the game as reigning champions and will lean on Messi plus experienced figures like Emiliano Martínez and Julián Álvarez while managing concerns over wide defensive form.
- The Golden Boot race remains unresolved with Kylian Mbappé leading the scoring charts and Messi able to change the outcome with goals in the final, and the match also marks the first all Spanish‑language World Cup final since 1930.