Just tuning in for World Cup final? Let's catch you up on what you've missed - ESPN

If you're just tuning in to the 2026 World Cup for the first time now, where have you been?

The expanded 48-team tournament has produced five weeks of incredible entertainment encompassing all the highest highs and lowest lows that the beautiful game has to offer.

The important thing is that you are here now: The final will take place Sunday in New Jersey between Spain and defending champions Argentina.

For anyone who hasn't been following along, we wanted to offer a rundown of what's happened so far, featuring Lionel Messi heroics, underdog upsets and some mighty performances from the United States men's national team.

Lionel Messi. We couldn't possibly start anywhere else. The Argentina superstar turned 39 years old during this World Cup and has still managed to defy time itself by inspiring his team to a second successive World Cup final, once again putting up ridiculous numbers along the way.

Incredibly, Messi has already topped his own statistical output at the 2022 World Cup, which Argentina won in Qatar four years ago, and is leading the goal and assist charts at the 2026 tournament having dragged La Albiceleste through the bracket.

Many modern-day superstars have had their moments during this summer's World Cup — the likes of France's Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise, Brazil's Vinícius Júnior, England's Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane — but all saw their tournament come to a somber end.

Messi, the elder statesman, simply refused to roll over.

Amazingly, the Argentina forward is now set to play a familiar opponent in the shape of Spain's prodigious teenage winger, Lamine Yamal. The pair actually met before, some 19 years ago, when Messi quite literally anointed Yamal — who was a baby at the time — as part of a