FIFA World Cup: 10 things to know before Spain-Argentina final in New York

Five weeks aft the commencement of the biggest-ever shot tournament, it’s astir clip for the time billions crossed the satellite person waited for – the FIFA World Cup final.

Spain, the champions of Europe, look defending World Cup winners Argentina successful a title clash for the ages.

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For Spain, it marks the last measurement successful their quest for a 2nd satellite title, 16 years connected from their maiden triumph, portion Argentina are chasing past to go lone the 3rd state to assistance back-to-back World Cups.

Here are the apical 10 things you request to cognize up of Sunday’s last successful New York, United States:

Deja vu: Messi and Yamal conscionable again aft 2 decades

The infinitesimal Argentina acceptable up the World Cup last against Spain, societal media was again flooded with the now-viral photograph of a young Messi bathing babe Yamal during a TV commercial. At first, galore thought it was an AI-generated image, but it’s so existent and dates backmost to 2007.

During a UNICEF fundraising sprout astatine his erstwhile club, Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium, a 20-year-old Messi met Yamal, who was lone 5 months aged astatine that clip and accompanied by his mother, Sheila Ebana.

Almost 2 decades connected from that day, Messi and Yamal look each different successful a clash of generations successful the 2026 World Cup final.

“It is simply a existent occurrence of destiny,” the lensman Joan Monfort told BBC Sport.

This photo, taken successful September 2007, shows a 20-year-old Lionel Messi, who had embarked connected his legendary Barcelona vocation 4 years earlier, helping to bathe Lamine Yamal, six months, with Yamal’s parent Sheila Ebana [Joan Monfort/AP Photo]

Will Donald Trump be the World Cup final?

Yes. The White House has said US President Donald Trump volition be Sunday’s World Cup last – his archetypal quality astatine the tournament. He volition jointly contiguous the trophy, on with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, to the winning team’s captain.

Though Trump was not astatine immoderate crippled of the 48-team tournament, helium was inactive progressive – alternatively controversially. Trump personally urged Infantino to reappraisal a determination to manus a reddish paper to US striker Folarin Balogun.

FIFA, then, broke its ain rules to suspend Balogun’s one-game ban, allowing him to play successful the quarterfinals, which the US mislaid to Belgium. The arguable determination drew disapproval and erstwhile again enactment the spotlight connected the increasing power of authorities connected sport.

US President Donald Trump holds up a reddish paper arsenic helium meets with FIFA President Gianni Infantino successful the Oval Office of the White House [File: Leah Millis/Reuters]

Superstitions first: Argentinian President Milei won’t be the final

It is communal signifier for the heads of authorities of the finalist nations to be the eventual showdown, but Argentinian President Javier Milei won’t beryllium travelling to New Jersey. Why? Because of superstition.

Milei has decided to ticker the crippled connected a TV from his statesmanlike residence, conscionable similar helium did for each of Argentina’s 7 matches en way to the final. He volition besides beryllium putting connected the aforesaid dense overgarment helium wears each time.

In Latin America, and peculiarly successful Argentina, alleged “cabalas”, oregon ritualistic beliefs and habits, transportation antithetic weight, reflecting their passionateness for the nationalist team.

Canadian wildfire fume blankets New York earlier World Cup final

Smoke from Canadian wildfires has blanketed overmuch of the northeastern US, triggering ⁠health alerts, but a ⁠cold beforehand expected connected the play volition assistance dissipate the unsafe haze successful clip for Sunday’s World Cup last successful the New York area.

More ⁠than 80,000 radical are expected to be the World Cup last astatine the open-air New York-New Jersey stadium, portion different 50,000 are ⁠expected to ticker the crippled from Central Park successful Manhattan.

New York City began feeling the effects of the wildfires this week, and section authorities issued an alert, urging residents to trim strenuous outdoor enactment and instrumentality other breaks if they are outside.

On Thursday, the aerial prime ‌in New Jersey, the tract of the stadium, was rated arsenic “unhealthy for delicate groups” by respective aerial prime measurement platforms.

World Cup final: The astir costly US sporting event

As of Friday, the get-in price for the Spain vs Argentina last is $7,595, according to ticket-tracking work TicketData.com. The level states a 10 percent summation successful terms implicit the past 3 days.

As per information from secondary summons marketplace TickPick, the mean acquisition terms for the last is $11,327, the highest ever recorded successful US sporting history, surpassing the summons prices for the NFL’s Super Bowl and the NBA Finals.

NFL-style half-time show

For the archetypal clip successful history, a shot World Cup last volition diagnostic a half-time show, inspired by the Super Bowl.

Expect fireworks to airy up the New York skyline erstwhile a popular enactment kicks off, headlined by Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS, Burna Boy, Coldplay and others.

The show is expected to past astir 11 minutes, with the half-time interruption perchance extended to up to 30 minutes. Additionally, determination volition beryllium a closing ceremonial 90 minutes earlier kickoff, with Tom Cruise, Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger expected to feature.

Colombian singer, songwriter and shaper Shakira, who performed during the opening ceremonial of the 2026 World Cup, volition besides beryllium astatine the half-time amusement [Carl De Souza/AFP]

Record-breaking prize money

In December, FIFA announced a grounds World Cup prize money of $727m –  a 50 percent summation connected the funds distributed astatine the 2022 tourney successful Qatar.

Four months later, the prize wealth connected connection was further increased, with the satellite governing assemblage projected to surpass $11bn successful gross successful the existent four-year rhythm from 2023 to 2026.

FIFA’s December announcement connected prize wealth said ⁠the champions would instrumentality location $50m and the runners-up $33m. Additionally, each qualified federation would ⁠be entitled to $1.5m to screen mentation costs.

World Cup trophy to get successful bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk

As was the lawsuit successful the past 4 finals, the aureate World Cup trophy – the biggest prize successful shot – volition beryllium transported to the venue successful a bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk designed by the French luxury ‌fashion house.

The trunk features a aureate V for “Victory” – and “Vuitton” – crossed the front, with the brand’s recognisable monogram signifier and gold-plated brass country protectors.

Golden Boot among awards up for grabs

Apart from the winning squad earning the accidental to assistance the coveted World Cup trophy, players volition besides person a changeable astatine idiosyncratic glory.

As galore arsenic 5 authoritative trophies, including the Golden Boot for the apical scorer and Golden Ball for the champion subordinate of the tournament, volition beryllium handed out.

Messi leads the contention for the Golden Boot, up of France’s Kylian Mbappe, who volition diagnostic successful the third-place playoff a time earlier the final. Mbappe won the Golden Boot past twelvemonth portion Messi is bidding for his archetypal specified achievement.

The Golden Glove, Young Player and Fair Play are the different authoritative awards presented by the FIFA Technical Study Group.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates with his teammates astatine the extremity of the World Cup semifinal [Rebecca Blackwell/AP]

The referee lineup

The World Cup last volition beryllium officiated by Slovenia’s Slavko Vincic, who volition beryllium assisted by his compatriots Tomasz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic.

Jordanian duo Adham Makhadmeh and Mohammad Alkalaf volition beryllium the 4th authoritative and reserve adjunct referee, respectively.