The final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup—the 23rd edition of the FIFA competition for men's national soccer teams—was played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, part of the New York metropolitan area, on July 19, 2026. It was contested by Spain and defending champion Argentina.
The tournament was contested by hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States, along with 45 other teams who emerged from the qualification phase, which was organized by the six FIFA confederations. The 48 teams competed in a group stage, from which 32 teams qualified for the knockout stage. En route to the final, Spain finished first in Group H with two wins and a draw, before defeating Austria in the round of 32, Portugal in the round of 16, Belgium in the quarterfinal, and France in the semifinal. Argentina finished first in Group J with three wins, after which it defeated Cape Verde in the round of 32, Egypt in the round of 16, Switzerland in the quarterfinal, and England in the semifinal. The final took place in front of 80,663 spectators, and was refereed by Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia.
Spain dominated possession and created numerous goal-scoring opportunities throughout the match, with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez repeatedly denying its offensive efforts. Argentina, reduced to ten players after Enzo Fernández was sent off in the second half, failed to register a single shot in regulation time, a first for a World Cup final. The goalless deadlock carried into extra time, during which Ferran Torres scored from a Nico Williams header to secure a 1–0 victory for Spain. With a few minutes left, Argentina missed multiple opportunities to equalize the score. After the match, a brawl broke out between the two teams.
Spain's win earned the country its second World Cup title and its first since 2010. Torres was named the man of the match, and Emiliano Martínez's 11 saves set a record for the most saves by a goalkeeper in a World Cup final. The match was the first ever World Cup final to include a halftime show, which caused the full halftime break to last over 27 minutes, against International Football Association Board (IFAB) protocol. Spain became the first country to simultaneously hold the men's and women's World Cup titles, having won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023.
Background The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the 23rd edition of the World Cup, FIFA's soccer competition for men's national teams, held in Canada, Mexico and the United States between June 11 and July 19, 2026. The tournament featured 48 teams for the first time, up from 32 in the 2022 World Cup. The national teams of Canada, Mexico and the United States qualified automatically for the tournament as hosts, while 206 teams competed for the remaining 45 slots through qualifying rounds organized by the six FIFA confederations and held between September 2023 and March 2026. In the tournament, the teams were divided into twelve groups of four, with each team playing every other team once in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group, along with the top eight third-place teams, advanced to the knockout stage.
Argentina had won the previous World Cup in Qatar in 2022, defeating France in a penalty shoot-out in the final after the match finished 3–3 after extra time. Argentina had previously won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, and finished as runners-up in 1930, 1990, and 2014. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was attempting to become the second manager to win multiple World Cup titles, after Vittorio Pozzo of Italy in 1934 and 1938. Spain had won the World Cup once before in 2010, defeating the Netherlands in the final in Johannesburg, South Africa. Heading into the 2026 final, Spain was tied with Italy for the longest undefeated streak in the history of men's international soccer, with 37 matches.
Spain and Argentina had played each other fourteen times since 1952, with each team winning six matches. They had played one World Cup match before, in the group stage of the 1966 tournament, with Argentina winning 2–1. Their most recent meeting before the 2026 World Cup was a friendly match in Madrid on March 27, 2018, which Spain won 6–1. Spain and Argentina, respective winners of the UEFA European Championship and Copa América in 2024, were scheduled to contest the 2026 Finalissima in Qatar in March 2026. However, the match was cancelled due to the Iran war.
The 2026 final was the first World Cup final to feature two reigning continental champions, who were the two top-ranked teams in the FIFA World Ranking. It was also the second time that two Spanish-speaking countries competed against each other, after Uruguay and Argentina contested the inaugural 1930 final. With Spain and Argentina co-hosting the next World Cup in 2030, it meant the winner of this final would be the first-ever team to host a World Cup as the defending champion. The official match ball used in the semifinals, match for third place, and the final, was a variation of the Adidas Trionda called the Trionda Final. It has the same technical specifications as the Adidas Trionda, but has a gold, white, and black design that resembles the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
Venue
The final was played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, west of New York City, which also hosted seven other matches in the tournament. MetLife Stadium was temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the World Cup. The stadium first opened as New Meadowlands Stadium in April 2010 as a replacement for Giants Stadium. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) and is the largest stadium in the league, with a maximum capacity of 82,500. The stadium had previously hosted various sporting events, including multiple matches of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2011 and 2013, Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, the Copa América Centenario final in 2016, and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final.
In August 2017, the United Bid Committee of the United 2026 bid listed MetLife Stadium as a potential host venue. It was later proposed as the ideal venue for the final. After the United 2026 bid was selected in June 2018, MetLife Stadium was considered an early frontrunner to host the final due to its proximity to New York City and experience hosting major sporting events. In 2021, a joint bid by New York and New Jersey was submitted for MetLife Stadium to host multiple matches during the 2026 World Cup. As part of FIFA's Candidate Host City tour, MetLife Stadium and its facilities were visited by FIFA representatives that September. In June 2022, the stadium was confirmed as one of sixteen U.S. host venues. Alongside MetLife Stadium, SoFi Stadium in California and AT&T Stadium in Texas were frontrunners to host the final. In January 2024, The Sun circulated a rumor that AT&T Stadium had been chosen. According to The Athletic, the selection of MetLife Stadium the following month came as a surprise to local officials.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), which oversees MetLife Stadium, approved a $15.9 million contract to expand the stadium in June 2023. In preparation for the World Cup, the stadium's field was widened to meet FIFA's size requirements, and Bermuda grass was temporarily laid over the field's artificial turf for the World Cup. The field was later criticized by players, including Vinícius Júnior and Adrien Rabiot, both of whom said it was too dry. Worn patches on the pitch were noted by the media. The Meadowlands Rail Line and a $35 million bus line, referred to as the Secaucus-Meadowlands Transitway, were used to transport attendees from the nearest transit hub at Secaucus Junction. In April 2026, NJ Transit, which operates the Meadowlands Rail Line, announced that $150 tickets, higher than the usual $12.90 fares, would be issued for train services with dedicated queues at New York Penn Station, and $80 fares for express buses. These costs were intended to offset the $48 million cost of providing event services and security that were not subsidized by FIFA and other grants. Later in May, train fares were reduced to $105 and ultimately to $98, due to increased sponsorships and other funds.
Route to the final
Spain + Spain's route to the final Opponent Result 0–0 4–0 1–0 3–0 1–0 2–1 2–0 Spain qualified for the 2026 World Cup after finishing first in its qualification group, and entered the tournament as the bookmakers' favorite to win. Spain was drawn into Group H, alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. Its first match was against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15. The game ended in a goalless draw, due to a strong defensive performance from Cape Verde and its goalkeeper, Vozinha. Spain's second match was against Saudi Arabia on June 21. Lamine Yamal gave Spain the lead ten minutes into the game, scoring his first World Cup goal from a cross by Mikel Oyarzabal. Oyarzabal added a second goal from a corner kick taken by Yamal, and within three minutes he scored again from Dani Olmo's header to give Spain a 3–0 halftime lead. In the second half, a volley by Spain's Marc Cucurella was saved by Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Hassan Al Tambakti, but it deflected off Hassan Al Tambakti for an own goal to seal Spain's 4–0 victory. Spain's last group game was against Uruguay in Guadalajara on June 26. Spain won 1–0 after Álex Baena's shot slipped through the hands of Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Spain advanced to the knockout stage as group winners with seven points. In the round of 32, Spain faced Austria at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on July 2. Oyarzabal gave Spain a 1–0 lead in the 38th minute, scoring from a cross by Cucurella. In the second half, Pedro Porro scored Spain's second goal when he headed the ball from a cross by Baena. One minute before the end of regulation time, Oyarzabal added a third goal from a cross by Cucurella to seal a 3–0 win for Spain. Spain's victory was its first in a World Cup knockout stage match since the 2010 final.
Spain faced Portugal in the round of 16 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on July 6. After a goalless first half, Spain's Mikel Merino, who had come on as a substitute, scored the only goal of the game in second-half stoppage time after receiving a pass from Torres. Spain faced Belgium in the quarterfinal in Inglewood on July 10. After Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved a shot from Dani Olmo, Fabián Ruiz scored to give Spain a 1–0 lead. Charles De Ketelaere of Belgium equalized the score at 1–1 with a header from a cross by Timothy Castagne shortly before halftime. This was the only goal conceded by Spain in the tournament. In the second half, Courtois left the pitch injured and was replaced by Senne Lammens. After Lammens saved a 25 yards (23 m) shot from Pau Cubarsi, Merino hit the rebound, scoring the winning goal two minutes before the end of regulation time to give Spain a 2–1 victory. On July 14, Spain played France in the semifinal in Dallas, and was awarded a penalty in the first half after Yamal was fouled by Lucas Digne. Oyarzabal took the penalty kick and scored to give Spain a 1–0 lead. In the 58th minute, Porro scored a second goal to give Spain a 2–0 win. Spain progressed to the final for the first time since 2010.
Argentina + Argentina's route to the final Opponent Result 3–0 2–0 3–1 3–2 3–2 3–1 2–1