World Cup 2026: for Infantino, the Messi-Yamal final will be "an incredible spectacle"
FIFA president Gianni Infantino called the Spain-Argentina final a blessing from the gods of football, promising an explosive duel between Messi and Yamal.
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
On the eve of the 2026 World Cup final, FIFA president Gianni Infantino gushed over the clash between Spain and Argentina, singling out the duel between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.
"A blessing from the gods of football"
Football's global governing body chief didn't hide his enthusiasm:
- "A blessing from the gods of football"
- "It's going to be fireworks, an incredible spectacle"
For Infantino, this final brings together everything football can offer at its best: the tournament's two best teams, and a generational duel between two exceptional No.10s.
A generational duel: master versus apprentice
The meeting between Messi and Yamal revives a story written nearly two decades ago: a photo that went viral shows a young Messi, then an academy player at Barcelona, giving a bath to an infant Lamine Yamal. Now opponents in a World Cup final, the Argentine (39, tied for the tournament's top scorer alongside Kylian Mbappé) and the Spaniard (18, La Roja's attacking revelation) embody the passing of the torch between generations.
A final with historic stakes
Set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, this final pits the reigning European champion against the reigning Copa América champion for the first time — an unprecedented matchup in the tournament's history.
