Spain - Argentina / 2026 FIFA World Cup Final

Follow the LIVE broadcast of the Spain vs. Argentina 2026 FIFA World Cup final on ŠPORT.sk! The match, also broadcast live on JOJ Šport, kicks off at 9:00 PM CET.

World football is gearing up for the absolute pinnacle of its four-year cycle. On Sunday evening, the iconic MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the battle for the planet's most coveted trophy, featuring the reigning continental champions. European modern football, embodied by Spain, will face the South American passion of Argentina, the defending champions.

While "La Furia Roja" aims to emulate their golden generation from 2010, who defeated the Netherlands in extra time, Lionel Scaloni's squad is playing for immortality. They could become only the third nation in history to defend the world title – a feat last achieved by the legendary Brazil a lengthy 64 years ago.

The paths of both giants to the final, however, couldn't have been more different. The Argentinians, who dominated the Copa América two years ago and cruised through qualification, hadn't tasted defeat since their last qualifying stumble in Ecuador. At the World Cup itself, they navigated the group stage flawlessly, but the knockout rounds turned into a series of nail-biting dramas.

Against a resilient Cape Verde, they only secured progression in extra time with a 3-2 victory. However, they truly faced a near-death experience in the Round of 16 against Egypt. Trailing 0-2 in the 79th minute, a VAR intervention sparked an incredible 14-minute spell where they scored three goals to turn the tide. Their struggles continued against Switzerland, where despite a man advantage from the 72nd minute, they only broke their opponent's resistance in the dying moments of extra time, winning 3-1. The pinnacle of their unbreakable will was the semi-final against England. "The Three Lions" were leading in the 85th minute, but Lionel Messi's genius and his two assists orchestrated another magical comeback, securing a 2-1 victory.

Spain, under Luis de la Fuente, adopted a completely different strategy – cold pragmatism and tactical dominance. While they started the tournament with a surprising goalless draw against Cape Verde, they immediately followed it up by thrashing Saudi Arabia 4-0 and secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Uruguay in their key group stage match.

In the playoffs, they professionally dispatched Austria 3-0. However, the subsequent two rounds against Portugal and Belgium brought immense emotion, giving rise to a Spanish hero from the bench. Mikel Merino twice in a row decided tight victories in the very last moments of the matches. In the semi-finals, "La Roja" also overcame an offensively strong France, tactically neutralizing their opponent and deservedly progressing with a 2-0 win.

Ahead of Sunday, the Spanish camp was briefly concerned by Thursday's training absences of star Lamine Yamal and defender Pedro Porro, but the medical team assures that both will be ready for the starting eleven.

Looking for historical parallels, these rivals have met only once at the World Cup – in 1966, the South Americans celebrated a 2-1 victory. Since then, they have played 6 friendly matches, with Spain winning 4 of them. The last encounter, eight years ago, is particularly memorable, when the Europeans inflicted a humiliating 6-1 defeat on Argentina.

However, nothing of the sort is expected on Sunday. An extremely tactical affair is anticipated, where neither team will make an unnecessary mistake in the first half.