Spain, Argentina tune up for World Cup final in smoggy New Jersey

Argentina are striving to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups

Author of the article:

AFP

Andy SCOTT with John WEAVER in Washington

Published Jul 18, 2026  •  3 minute read

Can Lionel Messi lead Argentina to a fourth World Cup crown? Photo by Luis Robayo /Getty Images

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AFP) — Argentina and Spain fine-tuned preparations for Sunday’s World Cup final in New Jersey as a persistent, choking smog blanketed the eastern United States.

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Just two games remain out of 104 matches at the 48-team extravaganza, including Saturday’s third-place play-off between France and England.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina are striving to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, while Spain are trying to win a second title after their maiden victory in 2010.

U.S. President Donald Trump will be among a crowd of more than 80,000 spectators at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford — the first game he has attended.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would also attend after an invitation from the American president.

Trump on Friday hailed the World Cup, held in Canada, Mexico and the United States as “the most successful sporting event, maybe in the history of the world” as he held a reception in New York with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino.

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Infantino also reached for hyperbole, saying the event had “exceeded all expectations”.

“The American dream, Mr. President, came to reality,” he proclaimed. “We united the world.”

“This has not just been and is not just the greatest World Cup of all times,” Infantino said. “It is the greatest human, social, and cultural event that mankind has ever witnessed.”

“FIFA is the official happiness provider to humanity,” he added, to which Trump responded: “Unless your team loses.”

Wildfires

Wildfires burning in Canada have sent heavy, acrid smoke billowing across the border, with residents in New York, Washington and the U.S. Midwest urged to stay indoors due to dangerously poor air quality.

At one point on Saturday, the smoke made New York City the most polluted city in the world, followed closely by Toronto and Washington, according to air tracker IQAir.

The MetLife Stadium is in New Jersey, just across the river from New York, where the city skyline early Saturday was obscured by dense smoke and people wore masks outdoors.

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Some respite was expected to come in the form of heavy storms, which could wash some of the smoke away — but also trigger flash floods and dangerous winds.

Messi farewell?

Sunday’s showpiece is likely to be the final World Cup curtain call for Argentina’s Lionel Messi, widely considered the greatest player of all time.

The Inter Miami forward is top of the Golden Boot standings on eight goals — level with Kylian Mbappe, who could face England in Miami later Saturday.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni urged fans to make the most of seeing Messi lead out his team at the age of 39.

“He has made history. He is a legend,” Scaloni said of the former Barcelona player, who helped Argentina to win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

The battle-hardened three-time champions have shown an astonishing never-say-die attitude during the 2026 tournament, including in their dramatic late comeback against England in the semi-finals.

Spain, on the other hand, have been almost flawless, conceding just a single goal in their seven matches so far and sweeping past France in the semifinals.

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Spain captain Rodri said he was bracing for a “physical” battle with Argentina and would aim to ignore any possible “provocations”.

“It will be a more physical one, and we must be prepared,” he said. “But I believe that if we are known for something in this national team, it is that we know how to play different games based on the moment.”

A galaxy of A-list stars will be performing at the MetLife Stadium, from Tom Cruise in the pre-game closing ceremony to Madonna and Shakira in the half-time show — the first in World Cup history.

England face France in Miami on Saturday in the meeting of the beaten semifinalists, to determine who finishes third.

England coach Thomas Tuchel admitted that their 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semifinal had been painful.

“It is our scar that we carry now. It is a very painful defeat, and we have to live with this defeat,” he said.

Didier Deschamps, meanwhile, vowed that no tears would be shed as he prepares to take charge of his final match as France coach.

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