TIM CURRY’S “ROCKY HORROR” LEGACY HONOURED ON BROADWAY AS CAST LEADS TRIBUTE AFTER HIS DEATH. (PHOTO).
The 2026 World Cup final is set, with defending champion Argentina facing Spain in a matchup between the tournament’s top-scoring team and its strongest defensive side.
Lionel Messi and Argentina will meet Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, after Spain defeated France in one semifinal and Argentina rallied past England 2-1 in the other.
Argentina enters the final chasing its fourth World Cup title and aiming to become the first nation to win consecutive championships since Brazil accomplished the feat in 1958 and 1962. Spain is seeking its second World Cup trophy after its 2010 triumph.
The matchup features a clash of strengths. Argentina has scored a tournament-best 19 goals, while Spain has allowed just one goal throughout the competition. The meeting will decide the champion of the largest World Cup ever, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The final also sets up a meeting between soccer’s present and future. Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, will face Spain’s young star Lamine Yamal, who has drawn comparisons to the Argentine legend. The two share a unique connection after a 2007 photo showed a teenage Messi participating in a charity event while holding a baby Yamal — nearly two decades before they are set to meet on soccer’s biggest stage.
Argentina reached the final with a perfect 7-0 record, scoring 19 goals and allowing seven. The team defeated Algeria, Austria and Jordan in the group stage before advancing past Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and England in the knockout rounds.
Spain enters with a 6-0-1 record, scoring 13 goals while conceding only one. After drawing Cape Verde and defeating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in the group stage, Spain eliminated Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France to reach the championship match.
Both teams arrive with impressive unbeaten streaks. Spain has gone 37 consecutive matches without a loss across all competitions, while Argentina has not lost in its last 13 World Cup matches since its shocking defeat to Saudi Arabia in the opening game of the 2022 tournament.
The final will also mark a reunion after the South American and European champions were originally scheduled to meet earlier this year in the Finalissima, but that match was canceled because of security concerns surrounding unrest in the Middle East.
Spain enters as the early favorite, but Argentina’s experience, attacking power and Messi’s pursuit of another historic achievement set the stage for a highly anticipated showdown.
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