Spain and Argentina will contest the Grand Final of the on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, at 19:00 UTC (15:00 Cuba time), marking the first encounter between both teams in a World Cup final.
The final lineup was confirmed this Wednesday after Argentina's victory over England in the semifinal held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, completing the matchup between the reigning champion and the champion of 2010.
Spain arrives at the event as one of the strongest teams in the tournament: they finished first in Group H with seven points, having conceded no goals in the group stage, with a draw against Cape Verde (0-0), a rout against Saudi Arabia (4-0), and a victory over Uruguay (1-0).
In the elimination round, the Spanish national team defeated Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals on July 10 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with a crucial goal by Mikel Merino in the 87th minute that secured their place in the semifinals.
On Monday, Spain eliminated France 2-0 in the semifinal held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with goals from Fabián Ruiz and Merino himself, who has become the most decisive figure for the team throughout the tournament.
It is the first time Spain has reached a World Cup final since South Africa 2010, a tournament in which it secured its only title by defeating the Netherlands. The team arrives unbeaten and with a defensive solidity that has shown no cracks since the start of the championship.
Argentina, the reigning world champion since Qatar 2022, had a similarly dominant performance in the group stage: nine points, a clean sweep of victories, and a goal difference of +7 at the top of Group J, with wins against Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0), and Jordan (3-1).
In the quarter-finals, the Albiceleste defeated Switzerland 3-1 in extra time on July 11 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, in a match that was decided by goals from Mac Allister in the 10th minute, Julián Álvarez in the 112th, and Lautaro Martínez in the 120th, after Switzerland equalized with Ndoye in the 67th and was left with ten players following the expulsion of Embolo in the 72nd.
Then, Argentina defeated England in the semifinal this Wednesday in Atlanta to secure their place in the final, with Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez as the team's main offensive references throughout the tournament.
Sunday's final will be an unprecedented showdown in the history of the World Cup: Spain and Argentina have never faced each other in a World Cup final before, making the match at MetLife Stadium a historic event for international football. The reigning champion will seek their third title, while Spain will aim to lift their second star 16 years after their first.
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