The Whole World Ends Up in Jersey: Spain vs. Argentina for the 2026 World Cup
Written by Joshua Gallatin and Meghan Lipscomb on July 18, 2026
Jordan Bank/FIFA/Getty Images
The moment has finally arrived: the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. After an intense week of semifinal matchups and tedious preparations, it all comes down to this. Spain vs. Argentina, Sunday at 5pm, hosted at New York New Jersey Stadium.
On Tuesday, July 14th, at 3pm, France faced off against Spain. It was the first time these teams had met since the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The last time around, Spain won 1-0. This time was no exception. 58 minutes into the game, Spain’s right back, Pedro Porro, scored from inside the penalty area. France took 14 shots on goal, but none of them paid off. Instead, Spain scored twice en route to a 2-0 victory.
It was not an easy road for Spain to get to the final. On Friday, July 10th, Spain had to go up against a strong Belgian offense in the quarterfinals, winning 2-1. Before that, they overcame their biggest challenge yet in the Round of 16 against a favored Portugal team. Spain took that challenge head on and won 1-0.
On Wednesday, July 15, also at 3pm, England faced off against Argentina. England has been trying to break through to their first World Cup final since 1966. Argentina (the reigning World Cup champions), for their part, are trying to preserve their legacy alongside star forward and all-time scorer Lionel Messi. It was not easy for Argentina to face England. They went into the match as +2.5 underdogs. England opened the scoring with Anthony Gordon at the 55-minute mark. But Argentina proved why the comeback kids always have something left in them. At the 85-minute mark, Enzo Fernandez tied the match on a goal that was basically a gift from England. Lautaro Martinez then scored the go-ahead goal in the 92nd minute, giving Argentina a dramatic 2-1 victory and a place in the World Cup final.
Argentina has been in this type of situation before against Egypt (R16) and struggled against Cape Verde (R32). Not to mention that they had to deal with some grit against Switzerland (quarterfinals).
It all comes down to the final on Sunday. Four years of strategizing and lengthy practices. Will Argentina secure back-to-back World Cups, or will Spain lift the trophy for the first time in 16 years?
