NEW YORK, July 18– Spain and Argentina clash in Sunday’s World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium, a meeting of the reigning European and South American champions. Here is what to know about the match, the numbers behind it and the storylines to watch.
BASICS
Kickoff is at 3 p.m. ET (1900 GMT) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Argentina is first in FIFA’s world rankings with Spain second. The match is the 104th of a World Cup expanded to 48 teams for the first time in its 96-year history. The tournament opened June 11 in Mexico City and has been staged across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
ROUTES TO FINAL
Spain arrives unbeaten, with six wins and a draw, having scored 13 goals and conceded just one. It drew 0-0 with Cabo Verde in the group stage, then beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0. In the knockout rounds, Spain defeated Austria 3-0, Portugal 1-0, Belgium 2-1 and France 2-0. Argentina has won all seven of its matches, scoring 19 goals and conceding seven. It topped its group with wins over Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0) and Jordan (3-1), then survived tighter contests against Cabo Verde (3-2), Egypt (3-2), Switzerland (3-1) and England (2-1).
STARS
Lionel Messi, 39, has been directly involved in 12 of Argentina’s 19 goals this tournament as he adds another chapter to his storied career. Enzo Fernandez has marshaled the Albiceleste’s midfield while scoring two crucial late goals, including a stoppage-time winner against Egypt and an 85th-minute equalizer against England.
Lamine Yamal has scored just once at this World Cup, in the group stage against Saudi Arabia. But the 19-year-old has still posed a constant threat with his dynamism on the right wing. Rodri, the Manchester City midfielder and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, anchors Spain’s midfield and Mikel Oyarzabal, with five goals, has been the chief goal threat. Goalkeeper Unai Simon set an all-time World Cup record with 650 consecutive minutes without conceding, before Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere ended the streak in the quarterfinals.
AWARDS AND PRIZE MONEY
Messi is tied with Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race with eight goals, though Messi edges the France captain on assists. Two outsiders retain a mathematical shot. Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal plays in Sunday’s final, while France’s Ousmane Dembele, on five goals, faces England in Saturday’s third-place playoff in Miami, where Mbappe could also add to his tally.
Norway’s Erling Haaland has seven but is already out of the tournament. England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, both on six, can add to their tallies on Saturday. Messi is the favorite to secure a third Golden Ball award for the World Cup’s best player. He is already the only person have won it twice, in 2014 and 2022. FIFA’s total prize pool for the tournament is 871 million U.S. dollars, including 655 million in performance-based payouts. The champion will receive 50 million, with 33 million for the runner-up.
HISTORY AND CURIOSITIES
Spain and Argentina have met 14 times, with six wins apiece and two draws. Their only previous World Cup meeting came in 1966, when Argentina won 2-1. Their most recent encounter was a 2018 friendly in Madrid, which Spain won 6-1 against a Messi-less Argentina side. The teams had been due to meet in the Finalissima in Doha in March, a fixture that was canceled due to unrest in the Middle East.
A 2007 photograph of Messi holding a baby Yamal during a charity event has circulated widely on social media ahead of the match. Should Argentina win, it would become only the third team to retain the World Cup, after Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962. Whichever side wins, the 2030 World Cup will be the first in history in which the defending champion is also a co-host nation.
OFF THE PITCH
New York has been affected by an air quality alert related to wildfire smoke drifting south from Canada. Forecasters expect conditions to ease following likely rain on Saturday, with the temperature at kickoff expected to be around 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius). Tickets have sold out through official channels, with resale prices reaching well into five figures for premium seats. Authorities have outlined a multi-agency security plan for the final involving coordination between local, state and federal entities.
Xinhua
