Argentina vs. Spain: The 2026 World Cup Final By The Numbers

Could we have asked for a better World Cup final?

The top two teams in FIFA's pre-tournament rankings will clash on July 19 in New York New Jersey Stadium, with 39-year-old Lionel Messi squaring off against 19-year-old Lamine Yamal. 

With so many storylines and tons of history to be made, FOX Sports Research has broken down this historic matchup by the numbers. 

Let's take a look.

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1: For the first time, the World Cup final features the reigning European champion against the reigning South American champion.

1: This is also the first time the No. 1 (Argentina) and No. 2 (Spain) ranked teams in the FIFA world rankings have met in the World Cup final (since rankings were introduced in 1992).

2: There are only two players at this World Cup who have completed 20-plus dribbles: Lionel Messi (25) and Lamine Yamal (22).

1966: The two have met once before at the World Cup, with Argentina winning 2-1 in the 1966 group stage.

14: These two teams have met 14 times before, with the record split at 6-2-6 (W-D-L) all-time (all competitions); Spain has won four of the last six meetings between the two, with Argentina’s last victory coming in 2010.

0: Yamal has yet to record a goal or assist in the knockout stage of the World Cup; he is the third teenager to make seven appearances at the World Cup (Kylian Mbappé, Pau Cubarsí).

1: Spain is looking to be the first country to hold the men’s and women’s World Cups simultaneously.

7: Spain is looking to become the seventh nation to win multiple World Cups, having won its only previous appearance in the final in 2010.

3: La Roja is looking to become the third country to win the title in both its first two World Cup final appearances (1930 and 1950 Uruguay, 1934 and 1938 Italy).

3: Mikel Oyarzabal is the third Spanish player ever to reach five career World Cup goals (2010 David Villa, 1986 Emilio Butragueño); with one more goal, he will become the first Spanish player to score six goals at a single World Cup.

5: Spain is the fifth reigning European champ to reach the World Cup final, and is looking to be the third to win the title (1974 Germany, 2010 Spain).

5: Spain has won five of the six finals it has played in major tournaments (World Cup, Euros).

6: La Roja is the first team to keep six clean sheets at a single World Cup, and has conceded one goal in seven games at this World Cup.

8: Dani Olmo has eight assists at major tournaments (World Cup, Euros), one shy of passing Cesc Fàbregas for the most by a Spanish player ever.

14: Luis de la Fuente has managed more games across the World Cup and European Championship without ever losing than any other manager ever at 14 (13 wins, one draw).

15: Spain is unbeaten in 15 straight major-tournament games (13 wins, two draws); La Roja is also the first European team to win eight straight knockout games at major tournaments (World Cup, Euros).

37: Spain is unbeaten in 37 straight games overall (28 wins, nine draws), tying the longest known streak by any nation (Italy 2018-21).

63: Rodri has made 63 line-breaking passes in the final third, the most in a single edition since Xabi Alonso in 2010 (76).

1: Argentina is looking to become the first team ever to win four straight major tournament titles (won the 2021 Copa América, 2022 World Cup and 2024 Copa América).

1: Argentina is looking to become the first nation to win every game at the World Cup and lift the trophy since Brazil won seven straight in 2002.

2: Lionel Scaloni can become the second manager ever to win consecutive men's World Cups, joining Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo (1934, 1938).

2: Messi is set to become the second man ever to play in three World Cup finals (2014, 2022, 2026), joining Cafu (Brazil — 1994, 1998, 2002).

3: Argentina has won three of its previous six World Cup finals, winning in 1978, 1986 and 2022 (and losing in 1930, 1990 and 2014).

4: La Albiceleste is looking to become the fourth nation to win four World Cups (Brazil — five, Germany — four, Italy — four).

5: Argentina has scored five goals from outside the box at the 2026 World Cup (Messi twice, Giovani Lo Celso, Julián Alvarez, Enzo Fernández), tied for the most on record (since 1966) by any team at a single edition of the tournament.

5: Julián Alvarez has scored five career World Cup goals, with four coming in the knockout rounds— tied with Diego Maradona for the second-most by an Argentinian player behind only Messi (seven).

6: Argentina is the sixth reigning champion to make the World Cup final, and is seeking to be the third repeat winner ever (Brazil in 1958 and 1962, Italy in 1934 and 1938). 

6: If Messi scores, he'd become the sixth man to score in two World Cup finals (Vavá — 1958, 1962, Pelé —1958, 1970, Paul Breitner — 1974, 1982, Zinedine Zidane — 1998, 2006, Kylian Mbappé — 2018, 2022).

7: La Albiceleste is in a seventh World Cup final, tied with Brazil for second-most all-time (Germany has eight).

8: Argentina has scored eight goals after the 85th minute (including extra time) in this World Cup— a record for a national team in a single edition in the tournament's history.

13: Argentina has multiple goals in 13 straight World Cup games, the longest streak in tournament history, and is unbeaten in 19 straight major-tournament games (16 wins, three shootout wins).

13: Alexis Mac Allister has played in more World Cup matches without losing than anyone in the competition's history (13).

14: La Albiceleste has won a team-record 14 straight games, is unbeaten in a team-record 13 straight World Cup games (11 wins) and has won seven straight World Cup matches for the first time.

19: Argentina has a tournament-high 19 goals; 12 of those goals have come after the 75th minute, most by any team at a single World Cup.

33: Messi has 33 goal contributions (goals and assists) in his World Cup career, more than any player on record (since 1966); his 21 goals are the most of any player in World Cup history and his 12 assists are the most since first tracked in 1966.