FIFA World Cup 2026 final: Discover key facts, records and milestones as Spain face Argentina in a historic battle for football’s biggest prize.
The stage is set for a historic FIFA World Cup 2026 final as Spain and Argentina prepare to battle for football’s biggest prize on Sunday.
The two football giants will meet in a World Cup final for the first time, with Spain aiming to secure their second title and Argentina chasing a historic back-to-back triumph, a feat last achieved by Brazil in 1962.
As fans around the world await the decisive clash, here are key facts, records and milestones to know ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.
1. Spain and Argentina have never met in a FIFA World Cup final.
Sunday’s showdown will mark the first time the two football giants face each other with the biggest prize in world football at stake.
2. Argentina are aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title.
No nation has won consecutive men’s World Cups in more than six decades.
3. Spain have lifted the FIFA World Cup only once, in 2010, when Andrés Iniesta scored the extra-time winner against the Netherlands.
4. Argentina have won the FIFA World Cup three times: 1978, 1986 and 2022
A victory on Sunday would secure a fourth world title for Argentina.
5. The 2026 FIFA World Cup champions will receive US$50 million in prize money, while the runners-up will earn US$33 million.
6. The 2026 edition is the first 48-team FIFA World Cup, featuring 104 matches across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
7. Spain vs Argentina will be the 104th and final match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament.
8. If Argentina defeat Spain, Lionel Messi will become one of the few players to win the FIFA World Cup twice, having already lifted the trophy in Qatar in 2022.
The victory would also see Messi become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball award three times, adding to his previous honours in 2014 and 2022.
He would become the only player in World Cup history to achieve both milestones.
9. The final will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium, one of the tournament’s flagship venues.
10. For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, the champions will receive championship rings.
FIFA will award 30 rings to the world champions, while an additional 1,996 rings will be made available for fans to purchase.
The move follows a tradition popular in major American sports leagues, where championship rings are awarded to title winners.
11. The FIFA World Cup trophy is made of 18-carat gold, stands 36.8 centimetres tall and weighs about 6.1 kilograms.
It has been presented to every World Cup winner since 1974.
