After more than five weeks of action, with 104 matches across three countries, Mexico, the United States and Canada, and with 48 national teams taking part for the first time, the World Cup reaches its end and prepares to crown its new champion.
Argentina face Spain in the World Cup 2026 final at East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 local time (22:00 Cyprus time).
Before it becomes known whether the precious trophy will end up once again with Lionel Messi's Argentina or, after 16 years, with Lamine Yamal's Spain, the 80,000 fans in the stands and billions of television viewers around the world will watch a glittering closing ceremony and a spectacular half-time show, in the presence of US President Donald Trump.
The biggest stage in the world
The spectacle announced for the final is worthy of a tournament that has surpassed every precedent. From Tom Cruise and Madonna to Justin Bieber, Shakira and BTS, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will be transformed on Sunday night into "the biggest stage in the world".
The first part of the programme, scheduled to begin at 20:30 Cyprus time, is expected to include an appearance by Tom Cruise. After his spectacular rope descent into the Stade de France during the handover of the Olympic flag from Paris 2024 to Los Angeles 2028, it remains unknown what the Hollywood star has prepared this time.
Also present will be Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger, who perform the official World Cup song, "Desire". Invited to the event are the American streamer IShowSpeed, who counts roughly 160 million followers, and rapper Post Malone. The United States national anthem will be performed by Oscar-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson.
The greatest interest, however, surrounds the 11-minute half-time show. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has promised "the greatest stage of all time". The spectacle, inspired by the traditional Super Bowl half-time show and artistically curated by Chris Martin, the Coldplay frontman, will bring together artists of different generations and genres: Madonna, who recently released a new album at 67, Canada's Justin Bieber, South Korean group BTS and Shakira, whose name has become synonymous with World Cup appearances.
"Dai Dai", the collaboration between the Colombian star and Afrobeat artist Burna Boy which has been heard throughout the tournament, will be performed again in the stadium. The musical programme will also feature the celebrated Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, a New York choir and Coldplay themselves.
The event also has a charitable dimension, aiming to raise funds for an education programme run jointly by FIFA and the NGO Global Citizen, co-founded by Chris Martin.
FIFA has assured that half-time will not exceed the 15 minutes provided for by the regulations. Of those, 11 minutes will be devoted to the artistic programme, with the remaining time used for assembling and dismantling the stage and watering the pitch. At the Club World Cup final held exactly a year ago at the same stadium, however, the interval lasted a little over 24 minutes to accommodate a similar spectacle.
Messi's lieutenants lead Argentina
Around the irreplaceable Lionel Messi, the soul and leader of the Argentina side, his closest lieutenants know how to make the difference in matches often decided by fine margins.
Enzo Fernandez. The teenager who in 2016 wrote a letter to Messi begging him not to retire from the national team has now grown up. At 25, Enzo Fernandez is the brain of Argentina's midfield. Valuable in duels, provocative when needed, but also capable of crossing the line, as when he joined in a chant against Kylian Mbappe after the 2024 Copa America triumph, the Chelsea midfielder also knows how to be decisive on the pitch. Against Egypt in the round of 16 he scored the winner, heading home in stoppage time (90+2) to complete Argentina's great comeback from 2-0 down to 3-2. In the semi-final against England (2-1) he displayed his full range, beating Jordan Pickford with a powerful shot from outside the box after a Messi pass to equalise and breathe new life into Argentina. "I feel a little more mature today than four years ago," he said during the group stage. "I was still a child when I joined the national team."
Julian Alvarez. A key figure at Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid, with 20 goals (10 in the Champions League) and 9 assists this season, Julian Alvarez did not start the tournament ideally. Short of full fitness after a month and a half recovering from a left ankle injury, "La Arana" ("The Spider", a nickname owed to his speed and agility, as if he had more than two legs) began the World Cup on the bench, with Lionel Scaloni preferring Lautaro Martinez. It was a painful demotion for the great protagonist of the 2022 semi-final against Croatia, and one perhaps compounded by his personal situation: courted by Barcelona, Alvarez is in open dispute with Atletico and makes no secret of his desire to leave. He started for the first time against Jordan and has not stopped running since, making relentless runs off the ball and decisive defensive interventions, taking on the work Messi's legs can no longer do. "You have to know how to suffer," he said after the win over Switzerland (3-1 after extra time), where he scored the 2-1 goal with a superb curling shot into the top corner.
Lautaro Martinez. Serie A's top scorer and a champion with Inter (17 goals), the striker known as "Il Toro" ("The Bull") for his strength and physical presence began the tournament as a starter before losing his place to Alvarez, a repeat of his experience in Qatar four years earlier, a tournament that left a bitter taste as he failed to score even once. It did not break the 28-year-old, faithful to the tattoo that reads "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger". He seized every opportunity from the bench with a return of three goals and one assist. Coming on against Egypt with Argentina 2-0 down, it was he who delivered the perfect cross for Enzo Fernandez's comeback goal. He scored the third against Switzerland, but most unforgettable was his stoppage-time header (90+2) in the semi-final against England, converting Messi's pinpoint cross just ten minutes after entering the pitch. "I had dreamed of it. I told Alexis (Mac Allister) I would score," he said afterwards. "Ever since my father bought me my first pair of football boots, I dreamed of scoring a goal like that," he added, unable to hold back his tears.
Storms, smoke and a disrupted build-up
Unlike Spain, Argentina finally managed to train a few hours later than planned, after a delay of some 45 minutes. Under the tournament protocol, every training session or match must be suspended or postponed when lightning activity is detected within a radius of eight miles (about 13 kilometres), with officials reviewing the situation every 30 minutes until it is judged safe to resume. The protocol has caused delays to several matches of the tournament.
Spain's final training session, by contrast, was cancelled altogether because of severe thunderstorms, FIFA announced on Saturday, adding that no new window was foreseen for the Spanish team to train. "The training session of the Spanish national team at the Melanie Lane Training Ground in New Jersey was suspended, in accordance with the American safety protocol for storms," the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said in a statement. "The players are currently taking part in an indoor warm-up programme."
Although the bad weather disrupted both finalists' preparations, meteorologists estimate that the rain will disperse the smog that has built up in the area from the major wildfires in Canada, which is expected to offer better conditions for Sunday's final. The Air Quality Index (AQI), which stood at 160 on Saturday, a level classified as "unhealthy", is forecast to fall to 100 by Sunday, corresponding to "moderate" air quality.
