The Argentina men’s national football team is set to take on Spain in the World Cup 2026 final on Sunday. The match will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and is set to kick off at 4 p.m. The Albiceleste reaches the game having gone through a bumpy road.
Despite a nearly flawless group stage, in which it beat Algeria 3-0, Austria 2-0, and Jordan 3-1, with six goals by star and captain Lionel Messi, the knockout stages proved far more challenging. An extra-time 3-2 win against Cape Verde in the round of 32 was followed by another 3-2 win — this time in regulation — in the round of 16 against Egypt after coming from 2-0 down. In the quarterfinals, Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1, where the team was overpowered for long stretches of the match.
It set up a semifinal duel against England, where the Albiceleste once again had to fight after going down, with goals by Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez in the 92nd to secure a historic result. “When we’re against the odds, they play their best,” said head coach Lionel Scaloni after the match. “When that happens, and the rival hesitates, they smell blood and go all in.” Spain’s road One of the biggest favorites ahead of the tournament, Spain didn’t start the road to the 2026 World Cup final in the best way.
A surprising 0-0 tie against Cape Verde saw head coach Luis De La Fuente’s team unable to break the deadlock, thanks to a memorable performance by goalkeeper Vozinha. Things quickly improved with a 4-0 win against Saudi Arabia and a 1-0 victory in the last group stage game against Uruguay, thanks to a mistake by Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. La Roja showed its best game in a round of 32 3-0 victory over Austria at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The team dominated the match from start to finish, converting its overwhelming possession into goals. They required a bigger effort in the round of 16 against Portugal, where only a 91st-minute effort by Mikel Merino saved De La Fuente’s team from going to extra time. In the quarterfinals, against Belgium, Merino once again secured the result for Spain with a 2-1 victory in the closing moments, thanks to a mistake by goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
It set up a top-level duel between the two biggest European favorites, as Spain took on France. Despite the French team’s incredible performances in previous games, S… SportsLine's team of experts have revealed their World Cup parlay and soccer predictions for Spain vs.
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