Five weeks after the start of the biggest-ever football tournament, it’s almost time for the day billions across the world have waited for – the FIFA World Cup final.
Spain, the champions of Europe, face defending World Cup winners Argentina in a title clash for the ages.
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For Spain, it marks the final step in their quest for a second world title, 16 years on from their maiden triumph, while Argentina are chasing history to become only the third country to lift back-to-back World Cups.
Here are the top 10 things you need to know ahead of Sunday’s final in New York, United States:
Deja vu: Messi and Yamal meet again after two decades
The moment Argentina set up the World Cup final against Spain, social media was again flooded with the now-viral photo of a young Messi bathing baby Yamal during a TV commercial. At first, many thought it was an AI-generated image, but it’s indeed real and dates back to 2007.
During a UNICEF fundraising shoot at his former club, Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium, a 20-year-old Messi met Yamal, who was only five months old at that time and accompanied by his mother, Sheila Ebana.
Almost two decades on from that day, Messi and Yamal face each other in a clash of generations in the 2026 World Cup final.
“It is a true miracle of destiny,” the photographer Joan Monfort told BBC Sport.
Will Donald Trump attend the World Cup final?
Yes. The White House has said US President Donald Trump will attend Sunday’s World Cup final – his first appearance at the tournament. He will jointly present the trophy, along with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, to the winning team’s captain.
Though Trump was not at any game of the 48-team tournament, he was still involved – rather controversially. Trump personally urged Infantino to review a decision to hand a red card to US striker Folarin Balogun.
FIFA, then, broke its own rules to suspend Balogun’s one-game ban, allowing him to play in the quarterfinals, which the US lost to Belgium. The controversial decision drew criticism and once again put the spotlight on the growing influence of politics on sport.
Superstitions first: Argentinian President Milei won’t attend the final
It is common practice for the heads of state of the finalist nations to attend the ultimate showdown, but Argentinian President Javier Milei won’t be travelling to New Jersey. Why? Because of superstition.
Milei has decided to watch the game on a TV from his presidential residence, just like he did for each of Argentina’s seven matches en route to the final. He will also be putting on the same heavy jacket he wears each time.
In Latin America, and particularly in Argentina, so-called “cabalas”, or ritualistic beliefs and habits, carry unusual weight, reflecting their passion for the national team.
Canadian wildfire smoke blankets New York before World Cup final
Smoke from Canadian wildfires has blanketed much of the northeastern US, triggering health alerts, but a cold front expected on the weekend will help dissipate the dangerous haze in time for Sunday’s World Cup final in the New York area.
More than 80,000 people are expected to attend the World Cup final at the open-air New York-New Jersey stadium, while another 50,000 are expected to watch the game from Central Park in Manhattan.
New York City began feeling the effects of the wildfires this week, and local authorities issued an alert, urging residents to reduce strenuous outdoor activity and take extra breaks if they are outside.
On Thursday, the air quality in New Jersey, the site of the stadium, was rated as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” by several air quality measurement platforms.
World Cup final: The most expensive US sporting event
As of Friday, the get-in price for the Spain vs Argentina final is $7,595, according to ticket-tracking service TicketData.com. The platform states a 10 percent increase in price over the last three days.
As per data from secondary ticket marketplace TickPick, the average purchase price for the final is $11,327, the highest ever recorded in US sporting history, surpassing the ticket prices for the NFL’s Super Bowl and the NBA Finals.
NFL-style half-time show
For the first time in history, a football World Cup final will feature a half-time show, inspired by the Super Bowl.
Expect fireworks to light up the New York skyline when a pop party kicks off, headlined by Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS, Burna Boy, Coldplay and others.
The performance is expected to last about 11 minutes, with the half-time break potentially extended to up to 30 minutes. Additionally, there will be a closing ceremony 90 minutes before kickoff, with Tom Cruise, Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger expected to feature.
Record-breaking prize money
In December, FIFA announced a record World Cup prize fund of $727m – a 50 percent increase on the funds distributed at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Four months later, the prize money on offer was further increased, with the world governing body projected to surpass $11bn in revenue in the current four-year cycle from 2023 to 2026.
FIFA’s December announcement on prize money said the champions would take home $50m and the runners-up $33m. Additionally, each qualified nation would be entitled to $1.5m to cover preparation costs.
World Cup trophy to arrive in bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk
As was the case in the last four finals, the golden World Cup trophy – the biggest prize in football – will be transported to the venue in a bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk designed by the French luxury fashion house.
The trunk features a golden V for “Victory” – and “Vuitton” – across the front, with the brand’s recognisable monogram pattern and gold-plated brass corner protectors.
Golden Boot among awards up for grabs
Apart from the winning team earning the opportunity to lift the coveted World Cup trophy, players will also have a shot at individual glory.
As many as five official trophies, including the Golden Boot for the top scorer and Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament, will be handed out.
Messi leads the race for the Golden Boot, ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappe, who will feature in the third-place playoff a day before the final. Mbappe won the Golden Boot last year while Messi is bidding for his first such achievement.
The Golden Glove, Young Player and Fair Play are the other official awards presented by the FIFA Technical Study Group.
The referee lineup
The World Cup final will be officiated by Slovenia’s Slavko Vincic, who will be assisted by his compatriots Tomasz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic.
Jordanian duo Adham Makhadmeh and Mohammad Alkalaf will be the fourth official and reserve assistant referee, respectively.