The 2026 World Cup final will be like no other.
Spain and Argentina face off in New York/New Jersey in what should be a brilliant football contest – but surrounded by pomp, fanfare and controversy not seen in the previous 22 editions of this showpiece match…
How long is it going to go on for?
A long time. It’s quite possible it will be the longest World Cup final ever. But even if extra-time and penalties aren’t required, the match is going to run way beyond two hours.
If there are VAR interventions, there will be additional stoppage time. There is already a guaranteed three minutes to be added to the end of each half due to the mandatory hydration breaks which were brought in for this tournament.
- World Cup final: Spain vs Argentina – Follow the Sky Sports live blog
But the first-ever half-time show will be what really extends the run-time.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time. It could be close to midnight by the time Gianni Infantino and President Trump hand over the World Cup trophy to the winning captain.
What’s the half-time show all about?
The World Cup final in USA is going to feel pretty American with a Super Bowl-style half-time show.
Quite how long it will last isn’t certain – the actual show is scheduled to be 11 minutes long but the set-up and de-construction of it on the pitch will add many minutes more.
It will almost certainly run beyond the usual 15 minutes which football’s laws say half-time should be. Players’ unions have already expressed concerns about how this could increase the risk of injury due to player inactivity.
But FIFA want to put entertainment stars centre stage – as they have throughout this tournament. There will be performances by Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber.
According to FIFA, it is being staged in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
Any other Americanisms?
How about World Cup winner rings? After winning a Super Bowl, American football players get given a ring – and on Sunday the victorious football players will too. A bit odd.
Even stranger is the fact there are going to be 2,026 rings made – 30 for the winners and 1,996 available for sale.
And presumably Trump will be involved?
Of course! He’s been a key figure throughout the whole build-up and during this tournament – although this will actually be the first game he’s attended.
Trump has made headlines for various comments around this World Cup, from suggesting the Iran players shouldn’t participate to confirming he had asked FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to allow USA’s Folarin Balogun to play despite a suspension, and even weighing in on the criticism of Thomas Tuchel for his use of Harry Kane.
And he will be right in the middle of it all when the World Cup trophy is awarded to the winning team. As he did at the Club World Cup (rather awkwardly), he will pass over the famous trophy to the winning captain and share the spotlight.
OK, so what about the players?
Finally! There’s a big circus around this match but on the pitch will be some excellent players.
European champions Spain can call on standout midfielders Rodri and Fabian Ruiz, brilliant young winger Lamine Yamal, and their goalkeeper Unai Simon is going to finish the tournament with the most clean sheets.
Reigning world champions Argentina have Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez and a certain Lionel Messi.
Will this be Messi’s last match for Argentina?
Let’s see… but he has so far given no indication it will be.
Messi, of course, did retire from international football in 2016, such was the weight of expectation on him. It didn’t last long and since then he’s won a World Cup and two Copa Americas.
Now 39, he’s gearing up for his third World Cup final and is well-placed to claim the golden boot as top scorer and golden ball as best player… amazing, considering most assumed the 2022 World Cup win would be his moment to bow out.
So who is going to win?
Tricky question!
During this tournament, Argentina have moved to No 1 in the FIFA world rankings, while Spain are now second. It’s the European champions against the world champions. Argentina are looking to go back-to-back, while if Spain match their trick in 2010 of adding a World Cup to a European crown, they really will be feted in the history books.
Opta’s stats-based predictions make Spain favourites, giving them a 59.6 per cent chance of success. But it feels like a 50-50 game – and should be a cracker!
Will there be controversy?
Probably! Whether on the pitch or off it, there will no doubt be plenty of talking points to mull over on Monday morning. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has already warned the referee for the match not “to allow rules to be broken” on the back of questions about Argentina’s approach against England.
It seems Argentina have been given the green light by the White House FIFA task force to display their Falklands banner again.
The head of the task force Andrew Giuliani said: “We believe in our First Amendment rights here in the United States of America.”
FIFA’s rules ban all political messaging at games and their “independent” disciplinary committee is “considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps” after Argentina displayed the banner after beating England.
Can I still get a ticket?
If you have the money, you can! As of Saturday, a handful of $30,000 tickets were still available for the final.
Tickets were also available on FIFA’s resale platform. The most expensive listed was $2 million.
If you can’t stretch to that, remember you can follow the match on the Sky Sports website and App with our dedicated live blog, bringing you updates, goal alerts and analysis.
