The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off last month in North America as the largest in history, is set to reach its climax on Sunday as Spain and Argentina contend for soccer's most coveted prize at MetLife Stadium. The tournament, featuring 48 teams across 104 matches hosted jointly by 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has been defined by major upsets, political interventions, and an unprecedented Golden Boot race.
Spain enters the final seeking its first World Cup victory in 16 years, having dominated its semifinal match with a 2-0 win over France on Tuesday. Argentina, the defending champions, hopes to secure back-to-back titles after a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against rival England on Wednesday. Should Argentina prevail, they would become only the third nation to achieve consecutive World Cup wins, following Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962. Spain's only previous World Cup title came in 2010, when they defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Before reaching the final, Argentina's journey included needing extra time to overcome Cape Verde, a two-goal deficit comeback against Egypt in the Round of 16, and a 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland. Meanwhile, France and England will face off in the third-place match on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET in Miami.
Despite high hopes for a "golden generation" of American talent, the U.S. men's team, the last host country to be eliminated, fell short in their quest for a quarterfinal berth for the first time in 24 years. They were defeated 4-1 by Belgium in Seattle during the Round of 16, marking the fourth time in the past five World Cups the U.S. has exited at this stage, having failed to qualify in 2018. The team had shown promise in the group stage with wins against Australia and Paraguay, and a Round of 32 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. In the match against Belgium, American midfielder Malik Tillman briefly equalized the score after the half-hour mark, but Belgium quickly regained the lead. In the second half, a misstep by U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese led to another Belgian goal, and star striker Christian Pulisic was later substituted due to injury. USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino commented on the performance, saying, "I think we were not good enough. It wasn't our day. We didn't perform in the way that we're supposed to perform or show our quality." Despite the loss, the final U.S. match garnered an average of 30 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched soccer match in U.S. history.
Cape Verde, the third-smallest country to qualify, captivated global audiences with an unexpected "Cinderella run" in its inaugural World Cup appearance. The team shocked fans in the group stage with a goalless draw against tournament favorite Spain. Their 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha, became a global sensation, accumulating over 29 million Instagram followers for his impressive saves. Coach Pedro Leitão Brito highlighted the significance for his nation, stating, "This means everything for our country… we have shown organization and braveness and this is proof of what our country is about — resilience and to try to overcome hardships." Cape Verde continued its strong performance with a 2-2 comeback against two-time champion Uruguay and a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia. They nearly pulled off a massive upset against three-time World Cup champion Argentina in the Round of 32, twice canceling out Argentina's lead before ultimately losing 3-2 in extra time. Defender Pico Lopes declared, "Nobody has to ask where Cape Verde is now. They know where we are."
The 2026 World Cup also marks the final tournament for many top soccer stars. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo played his last World Cup match against Spain, where Portugal was eliminated 1-0 in the Round of 16. Ronaldo scored his first-ever World Cup knockout stage goal in the 68th minute of Portugal's Round of 32 match against Croatia. Reflecting on his exit, he said, "I'm sad to leave the World Cup this way. As I said yesterday, I gave it my all, and I leave with a clear conscience. That's the life of a footballer. You have to move forward." While Argentina's Lionel Messi, 39, has not officially announced his retirement, this is widely expected to be his sixth and final World Cup appearance, a record he now shares with Ronaldo. Messi has continued to impress, heading into Sunday's final with eight goals, tied with France's Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot lead, and setting an all-time record for goals in World Cup history with 21. Other prominent players confirming this will be their final World Cup include Croatia's Luka Modrić, Brazil's Neymar, Germany's Manuel Neuer, and Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne. Neymar commented on his journey, saying, "I tried. It started here at MetLife Stadium, and I finished here. It is now over."
In another first for the tournament, FIFA will stage an 11-minute halftime show during the World Cup final, featuring headliners Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, and BTS. Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the PS22 Chorus, and Coldplay are also slated to perform. This year's World Cup also uniquely featured three separate opening ceremonies across the host nations, with performances from artists including Shakira, Burna Boy, Michael Bublé, Jessie Reyez, Katy Perry, Future, LISA from Blackpink, Anitta, Rema, and Tyla.
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