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Published : 19 Jul 2026, 06:24 PM
Few World Cup finals have carried as many statistical storylines as Argentina's showdown with Spain in New Jersey.
The tournament's 104th and final match kicks off at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey at 1am Bangladesh time on Monday.
Here are the key numbers behind the blockbuster final:
14
Argentina and Spain have met 14 times in international football. Each side won six matches, with two ending in draws.
They met only once at the World Cup or in a competitive fixture. Argentina won that 1966 group-stage clash 2-1.
12
Their last two meetings produced 12 goals. Argentina won a 2010 friendly 4-1, while Spain thrashed them 6-1 in a 2018 friendly, with Isco scoring a hat-trick. Lionel Messi missed that match through injury.
1
Argentina are the reigning Copa America champions, while Spain hold the European Championship title. This is the first World Cup final between the defending champions of those two continental tournaments.
It is also the first World Cup match at any stage between the teams ranked first (Argentina) and second (Spain) in the FIFA rankings.
2
Spain, champions in 2010, are playing only their second World Cup final.
Across major tournaments, they have won five of six finals, including four of their five European Championship finals.
3
Argentina are chasing a place in history as only the third team to retain the World Cup, after Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962).
7
This is Argentina's seventh World Cup final, second only to Germany's eight. They have won three titles (1978, 1986, 2022) and finished runners-up three times (1930, 1990, 2014).
Lionel Scaloni's side have won all seven matches in 2026 and could become the first team since Brazil in 2002 to win every game at a single World Cup.
37
Spain are unbeaten in 37 matches across all competitions, matching the men's international record.
Since a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in March 2024, they have won 27 games and drawn 10. Italy first set the 37-match mark between 2018 and 2021.
19
Argentina have scored 19 goals in this tournament, averaging 2.71 per game.
Only four teams have scored more in a single World Cup: Brazil (22 in 1950), France (23 in 1958), West Germany (25 in 1954) and Hungary (27 in 1954).
Spain have scored 13 goals, two more than their previous tournament best in 1986 and five more than during their 2010 title-winning campaign.
13
Argentina have scored at least twice in 13 consecutive World Cup matches, an all-time record.
They have also found the net in 16 straight World Cup games. Only Hungary (17) and Germany and Brazil (18 each) have enjoyed longer scoring streaks.
2
Messi is set to become only the second player after Cafu to appear in three World Cup finals.
At 39 years and 25 days, he will also become the oldest outfield player to feature in a World Cup final.
3
Lamine Yamal will become the third-youngest player to appear in a World Cup final at 19 years and six days, behind Pele and Giuseppe Bergomi.
20
If both start, Messi and Yamal will become the first pair of opposing starting players in a World Cup final separated by more than 20 years in age.
1
Spain have conceded just one goal and are chasing the record for the fewest goals allowed by a World Cup-winning side. France (1998), Italy (2006) and Spain (2010) each conceded two.
Argentina have conceded seven goals, the most by a finalist since Brazil in 1998.
5
Argentina have scored five goals from outside the penalty area, equalling the tournament record. Messi has two, while Giovani Lo Celso, Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez have one each.
648
Spain midfielder Rodri has completed 648 passes, the most ever by a player at a single World Cup, surpassing his own mark of 638 set in 2022.
The next-highest totals belong to Spain's Xavi Hernandez (599 in 2010), Pau Cubarsi (547) and Aymeric Laporte (533) in this tournament.
