A dominant Spanish defence and a stunning late Argentine comeback have set up a mouth-watering 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday
By Martin Weche
Spain and Argentina will contest the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after both sides won bruising semi-final encounters this week, setting up a heavyweight showdown at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19.
Spain booked their place first, beating France 2-0 in Dallas on Tuesday in a performance built on defensive discipline and clinical finishing. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute after teenage winger Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the box by Lucas Digne. Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the 58th minute, finishing off a one-two with Dani Olmo to put the result beyond doubt.
The victory extended Spain’s remarkable defensive record at this tournament. La Roja have conceded only once in seven matches, a run that included shutting out a French attacking trio of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise that had troubled every other opponent. It is the first time Spain have reached a World Cup final since they lifted the trophy in 2010, and manager Luis de la Fuente’s side arrive at the final unbeaten in 37 matches stretching back two years.
Argentina’s path to the final was considerably more dramatic. Lionel Messi’s side trailed England 1-0 for much of the second half in Atlanta on Wednesday, after Anthony Gordon finished a low cross from Morgan Rogers in the 55th minute to put the Three Lions ahead. England held that lead deep into stoppage time, appearing set to reach their first World Cup final since 1966.
Argentina had other ideas. Enzo Fernández levelled matters in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martínez struck in the second minute of added time, both goals created by Messi, to complete a 2-1 comeback win that sent Argentina through to a second successive World Cup final. It is a familiar script for the defending champions, who have now staged late comebacks in several of their biggest matches over the past two tournament cycles.
Sunday’s final pits two contrasting styles against one another. Spain have built their run on possession, patience and a defence that has proved almost impossible to break down, while Argentina have shown a capacity to grind out results even when matches slip away from them, relying on individual brilliance from Messi and a settled core of players who won the trophy in Qatar in 2022.
For Argentina, victory would mean a second consecutive World Cup title, a feat no nation has managed in seventy years. For Spain, it would be a second star on the shirt following their 2010 triumph, achieved by a squad that blends senior figures with the emerging talent of Yamal, who turned 19 the day before the semi-final and has been one of the standout performers of the tournament.
England, meanwhile, will have to settle for a shot at third place. Thomas Tuchel’s side face France in the third-place playoff in Atlanta on Saturday, a repeat of Spain’s semi-final opponents, with both teams looking to end the tournament on a positive note after falling agonisingly short of the final.
The two semi-finals produced contrasting theatre: a clinical, low-event Spanish masterclass against France, and a match between England and Argentina defined by physical duels, 19 first-half fouls and a grandstand finish that turned on two moments of Messi-inspired quality. Both results have reopened old rivalries — Spain have waited sixteen years to return to this stage, while Argentina and England renewed a fixture that carries decades of history both on and off the pitch.
Attention now turns fully to Sunday’s final, where Spain’s watertight defence will be tested against an Argentina side that has repeatedly shown it can find a way to win, however the match unfolds. Whichever side lifts the trophy, the 2026 tournament will end with a champion that has earned it the hard way.
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