Forty-eight teams entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but only two remain alive for the title as Spain and Argentina meet at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The matchup features Lionel Messi and the defending champions up against Messi’s heir-apparent in Lamine Yamal, who leads Spain into their second-ever final and first since 2010.
Thanks to that triumph 16 years ago, Spain have never lost a World Cup final, while Argentina have done so three times but have also lifted the trophy on three occasions, including four years ago in Qatar.
Argentina have been comeback kings in the knockout rounds of this tournament, as they have not held a 90th-minute lead in any of their four games since the group stage.
The Sporting News looks at the projected starting lineups and team news ahead of Sunday’s historic showdown.
MORE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL CONTENT:
Spain projected starting 11
(4-2-3-1, right to left): 23. U. Simon (GK) — 12. P. Porro, 22. P. Cubarsi, 14. A. Laporte, 24. M. Cucurella — 16. Rodri, 8. F. Ruiz — 19. Lamine Yamal, 10. D. Olmo, 15. A. Baena — 21. M. Oyarzabal
- Injured: None
- Suspended: None
Given how Spain have performed at the World Cup, it’s hard to imagine too many changes for Luis de la Fuente heading into the final on Sunday.
The biggest question, as it has been all tournament, is the fitness of winger Nico Williams, who was so effective at Euro 2024 opposite Lamine Yamal but has been hampered at the World Cup by a hamstring injury. Alex Baena has filled in admirably from a possession sense, but his attacking presence has been mute. You wonder if De la Fuente would make the switch if Williams is finally healthy.
De la Fuente surprisingly benched Barcelona star Pedri for the quarterfinal win over Belgium, installing Fabian Ruiz instead, and the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder scored in that match. He continued in the semifinal against France and was part of a brilliant collective midfield performance, so it would track that he will continue here.
Argentina projected starting 11
(4-3-1-2, right to left): 23. E. Martinez (GK) — 26. Molina, 13. Romero, 6. Li. Martinez, 3. Tagliafico — 7. De Paul, 5. Paredes, 20. Mac Allister — 24. E. Fernandez — 10. Messi, 9. Alvarez
- Injured: None
- Suspended: None
The biggest question for Lionel Scaloni to answer is whether he sticks with Giuliano Simeone in the XI, who was added for the semifinal against England to provide the team with much-needed width they had been missing most of the tournament.
His introduction came at the expense of Rodrigo De Paul, who was withdrawn from midfield. Argentina might need De Paul brought back in to contend with the numbers for Spain in the middle of the pitch.
It’s also possible that Lautaro Martinez could return to the front line, but after scoring the winner off the bench against England, Scaloni could once again use him as a possible super-sub late if needed.
Spain vs. Argentina predictions, betting odds
Spain took advantage of France’s biggest weakness, which was a lack of midfield superiority.
That same weakness applies to Argentina, who have been frail in midfield all tournament long. For the final 30 minutes against an exhausted England, they were able to assert their dominance in the middle of the pitch, but prior to that, it had been incredibly herky-jerky.
Spain’s biggest strength is Argentina’s biggest weakness, and just as that drowned France, it will do so to the Albiceleste as well.
- Score prediction: Spain 2-0 Argentina
Spain vs. Argentina World Cup final rosters
Here are the names on Spain and Argentina World Cup rosters. All caps and stats are correct as of the date of their announcement in May 2026.
Spain World Cup squad
MORE: A complete breakdown of Spain’s 2026 World Cup squad
Head coach: Luis de la Fuente
| Position | No. | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 23 | Unai Simon | Athletic Club (La Liga, Spain) | 28 | 57 |
| GK | 1 | David Raya | Arsenal (Premier League, England) | 30 | 12 |
| GK | 13 | Joan Garcia | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 25 | 1 |
| DEF | 24 | Marc Cucurella | Chelsea (Premier League, England) | 27 | 23 |
| DEF | 3 | Alejandro Grimaldo | Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga, Germany) | 30 | 12 |
| DEF | 22 | Pau Cubarsi | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 19 | 11 |
| DEF | 14 | Aymeric Laporte | Athletic Club (La Liga, Spain) | 31 | 44 |
| DEF | 4 | Eric Garcia | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 25 | 19 |
| DEF | 2 | Marc Pubill | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 22 | 0 |
| DEF | 5 | Marcos Llorente | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 31 | 23 |
| DEF | 12 | Pedro Porro | Tottenham (La Liga, Spain) | 26 | 16 |
| MID | 20 | Pedri | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 23 | 40 |
| MID | 8 | Fabian Ruiz | Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, Spain) | 30 | 41 |
| MID | 18 | Martin Zubimendi | Arsenal (Premier League, England) | 27 | 25 |
| MID | 9 | Gavi | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 21 | 28 |
| MID | 16 | Rodri | Manchester City (Premier League, England) | 29 | 61 |
| MID | 15 | Alex Baena | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 24 | 15 |
| FWD | 21 | Mikel Oyazarbal | Real Sociedad (La Liga, Spain) | 29 | 52 |
| FWD | 10 | Dani Olmo | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 28 | 48 |
| FWD | 17 | Nico Williams | Athletic Club (La Liga, Spain) | 23 | 30 |
| FWD | 11 | Yeremy Pino | Crystal Palace (Premier League, England) | 23 | 21 |
| FWD | 7 | Ferran Torres | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 26 | 55 |
| FWD | 26 | Borja Iglesias | Celta Vigo (La Liga, Spain) | 33 | 6 |
| FWD | 25 | Victor Munoz | Osasuna (La Liga, Spain) | 22 | 2 |
| FWD | 19 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona (La Liga, Spain) | 18 | 25 |
Argentina World Cup squad
MORE: A complete breakdown of Argentina’s 2026 World Cup squad
Head coach: Lionel Scaloni
| Pos | No. | Name | Club | Age | Caps |
| GK | 23 | Emiliano Martinez | Aston Villa (Premier League, England) | 33 | 59 |
| GK | 1 | Juan Musso | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 32 | 3 |
| GK | 12 | Geronimo Rulli | Marseille (Ligue 1, France) | 34 | 7 |
| DEF | 6 | Lisandro Martinez | Manchester United (Premier League, England) | 28 | 26 |
| DEF | 25 | Facundo Medina | Lens (Ligue 1, France) | 27 | 7 |
| DEF | 26 | Nahuel Molina | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 28 | 58 |
| DEF | 4 | Gonzalo Montiel | River Plate (Primera Liga, Argentina) | 29 | 38 |
| DEF | 19 | Nicolas Otamendi | Benfica (Primeira Liga, Portugal) | 38 | 130 |
| DEF | 13 | Cristian Romero | Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League, England) | 28 | 49 |
| DEF | 2 | Marcos Senesi | Tottenham (Premier League, England) | 29 | 3 |
| DEF | 3 | Nicolas Tagliafico | Lyon (Ligue 1, France) | 33 | 75 |
| MID | 8 | Valentin Barco | Strasbourg (Ligue 1, France) | 21 | 2 |
| MID | 7 | Rodrigo De Paul | Inter Miami (MLS, United States) | 32 | 85 |
| MID | 24 | Enzo Fernandez | Chelsea (Premier League, England) | 25 | 40 |
| MID | 11 | Giovani Lo Celso | Real Betis (La Liga, Spain) | 30 | 65 |
| MID | 20 | Alexis Mac Allister | Liverpool (Premier League, England) | 27 | 44 |
| MID | 14 | Exequiel Palacios | Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga, Germany) | 27 | 38 |
| MID | 5 | Leandro Paredes | Boca Juniors (Primera Liga, Argentina) | 31 | 77 |
| MID | 18 | Nico Paz | Como (Serie A, Italy) | 21 | 8 |
| FWD | 16 | Thiago Almada | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 25 | 14 |
| FWD | 9 | Julian Alvarez | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 26 | 51 |
| FWD | 15 | Nicolas Gonzalez | Juventus (Serie A, Italy) | 28 | 50 |
| FWD | 21 | Jose Lopez | Palmeiras (Brasileirao, Brazil) | 25 | 3 |
| FWD | 22 | Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan (Serie A, Italy) | 28 | 75 |
| FWD | 10 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami (MLS, United States) | 38 | 198 |
| FWD | 17 | Giuliano Simeone | Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Spain) | 23 | 11 |
Where to watch Spain vs. Argentina
In USA:
- TV channel: FOX
- Live stream: fubo, Fox One, Fox Sports app/website
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be broadcast nationally on Fox in the United States with streaming options available on its dedicated platforms.
The best place to catch the match is on streaming service fubo.
Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
Here is how to watch the match in some of the other major territories:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| Canada | TSN1, TSN4, TSN5, RDS, CTV | TSN+, RDS app, CTV app |
| UK | BBC One, ITV1, STV Scotland | BBC iPlayer, ITVX, STV Player |
| Australia | SBS | SBS On Demand |
| India | Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 2, DD Sports | ZEE5 |