World Cup 2026: history repeats itself with an unprecedented final
For the first time in World Cup history, the top two ranked teams in the FIFA rankings meet in the final: Argentina and Spain.
Spain
Argentina- 120'Final score: Spain 1 - 0 Argentina
- 111'Yellow card: Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina)
- 106'⚽ Goal for Spain (Ferran Torres)
- 102'Substitution: ↑ Marcos Senesi / ↓ Julián Alvarez. (Argentina)
- 99'Substitution: ↑ Eric García / ↓ Aymeric Laporte. (Spain)
- 99'Substitution: ↑ Martín Zubimendi / ↓ Rodri. (Spain)
- 90'Red card: Second yellow card to Enzo Fernández (Argentina)
- 90'Yellow card: Cristian Romero (Argentina)
- 82'Yellow card: Enzo Fernández (Argentina)
- 75'Substitution: ↑ Mikel Merino / ↓ Dani Olmo. (Spain)
- 75'Substitution: ↑ Nico Williams / ↓ Álex Baena. (Spain)
- 70'Substitution: ↑ Giuliano Simeone / ↓ Rodrigo De Paul. (Argentina)
- 70'Substitution: ↑ Facundo Medina / ↓ Cristian Romero because of an injury. (Argentina)
- 62'Substitution: ↑ Pedri / ↓ Fabián Ruiz. (Spain)
- 62'Substitution: ↑ Ferran Torres / ↓ Mikel Oyarzabal. (Spain)
- 58'Substitution: ↑ Nahuel Molina / ↓ Gonzalo Montiel. (Argentina)
- 52'Yellow card: Leandro Paredes (Argentina)
- 45'Second half begins
- 45'Substitution: ↑ Leandro Paredes / ↓ Nico González. (Argentina)
- 45'Half-time
- 45'Half-time
- 44'Substitution: ↑ Nicolás Otamendi / ↓ Lisandro Martínez because of an injury. (Argentina)
- 41'Yellow card: Lisandro Martínez (Argentina)
- 0'Kick-off
- 0'Kick-off
After an already exceptional final four featuring the top four nations in the FIFA rankings, the 2026 World Cup is about to write a new page in its history: for the first time, the world's top two ranked teams will meet in the final.
A ranking reshuffled by the semi-finals
The FIFA ranking was shaken up following the final four:
- Argentina, having beaten England, climb to 1st in the world
- Spain, having knocked out France, move up to 2nd
- France, eliminated, drop to 3rd
- England round out the top four in 4th
A first in 96 years of competition
Never before in the tournament's history had the world's two top-ranked nations met face-to-face in the final. This lines up to crown a tournament where the FIFA ranking and the pecking order on the pitch have rarely matched so closely.
A clash worthy of the occasion
Set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, this final between Argentina and Spain promises a showdown to match this unprecedented statistic: two sides at the peak of their powers, carried by golden generations embodied by Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.
