Spain will face defending champions Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, after both teams booked their places in dramatic fashion this week.
Spain reached their second-ever World Cup final with a commanding run, conceding just one goal all tournament, capped by a 2-0 semifinal win over France. Argentina’s path was far more chaotic, needing extra time to survive Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland, before edging England 2-1 in Wednesday’s semifinal — Lionel Messi assisting both late Argentina goals, including Lautaro Martínez’s stoppage-time winner.
The final carries an unusual subplot: Messi will face Spain’s 19-year-old star Lamine Yamal for the first time in a competitive senior match, 19 years after a now-viral photograph showed a 20-year-old Messi and a five-month-old Yamal at a Barcelona charity photoshoot in 2007.
Argentina are chasing a fourth World Cup title and back-to-back championships, a feat unmatched since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Spain, champions once before in 2010, are looking to add a second star to their crest.
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