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