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Could we have asked for a better World Cup final?
The top two teams in FIFA’s pre-tournament rankings meet on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium, with 39-year-old Lionel Messi battling 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 with the numbers.
Let’s take a look.
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1: For the first time, the World Cup final pits the reigning European champion against the reigning South American champion.
1: It is also the first time that the No. 1 (Argentina) and No. 2 (Spain) teams in the FIFA world rankings have met in the World Cup final (since the 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, where Argentina won 2-1 in the group stage in 1966.
14: These two teams have met 14 times before, with the record tied at 6-2-6 (WDL) all-time (all competitions); Spain have won four of the last six meetings between the two, with Argentina’s last victory coming in 2010.
Spain
0: Yamal has yet to register a goal or assist in the knockout stages of the World Cup; he is the third teenager to make seven appearances at the World Cup (Kylian MbappĂ©, Pau CubarsĂ).
1: Spain is looking to become the first country to hold the men’s and women’s World Cups simultaneously.
7: Spain are looking to become the seventh nation to win multiple World Cups, having won their only previous appearance at the finals in 2010.
3: La Roja are looking to become the third country to win the title in both of their first two World Cup finals (1930 and 1950 Uruguay, 1934 and 1938 Italy).
Lamine Yamal has only scored one goal in this tournament but has constantly attracted the attention of opposing players. (Photo: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images).
3: Mikel Oyarzabal is the third Spanish player ever to reach five career World Cup goals (2010 David Villa, 1986 Emilio Butragueño); with one more goal, he becomes the first Spanish player to score six goals in a single World Cup.
5: Spain are the fifth reigning European champions to reach the World Cup final and look set to become the third to win the title (1974 Germany, 2010 Spain).
5: Spain has won five of the six finals it has played in major tournaments (WC, EC).
6: La Roja are the first team to keep six clean sheets at a single World Cup and have conceded a goal in seven games at this World Cup.
8: Dani Olmo has eight assists at major tournaments (WC, EC), one of which is not afraid to pass Cesc FĂ bregas for the most by a Spanish player ever.
14: Luis de la Fuente has managed more matches across the World Cup and EC without ever losing than any other manager ever in 14 years (13 wins, one draw).
15: Spain are unbeaten in 15 consecutive major tournament matches (13 wins, two draws); La Roja is also the first European team to win eight consecutive knockout matches at major tournaments (WC, EC).
37: Spain are unbeaten in 37 consecutive games (28 wins, nine draws), making it the longest known streak of any nation (Italy 2018-21).
63: Rodri has made 63 line-breaking passes in the final third, the most in a single edition since Xabi Alonso in 2010 (76).
Rodri, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2024, has been one of the best passers in this World Cup. (Photo by Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images).
Argentina
1: Argentina is looking to become the first team ever to win four major tournament titles in a row (winning the 2021 Copa América, 2022 World Cup and 2024 Copa América).
1: Argentina are looking to become the first nation to win every game at the World Cup and lift the trophy since Brazil won seven straight in 2002.
2: Lionel Scaloni can become the second ever manager to win back-to-back Men’s World Cups, joining Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo (1934, 1938).
2: Messi is set to become the second man ever to play in three World Cup finals (2014, 2022, 2026), joining Cafu (Brazil – 1994, 1998, 2002).
3: Argentina have won three of their previous six World Cup finals, winning in 1978, 1986 and 2022 (and losing in 1930, 1990 and 2014).
4: La Albiceleste are looking to become the fourth nation to win four World Cups (Brazil – five, Germany – four, Italy – four).
Lionel Messi has scored eight goals and provided eight assists in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images).
5: Argentina have scored five goals from outside the box at the 2026 World Cup (Messi twice, Giovani Lo Celso, Julián Alvarez, Enzo Fernández), tied for the record for most (since 1966) by any team in a single edition of the tournament.
5: Julián Alvarez has scored five career World Cup goals, four of which came in the knockout rounds – tied with Diego Maradona for second most by an Argentine player behind only Messi (seven).
6: Argentina is the sixth reigning champion to reach the World Cup final and is seeking to become the third winner ever (Brazil in 1958 and 1962, Italy in 1934 and 1938).
6: If Messi scores, he would become the sixth man to score in two World Cup finals (Vavá — 1958, 1962, Pelé — 1958, 1970, Paul Breitner — 1974, 1982, Zinedine Zidane — 1998, 2006, Kylian Mbappé — 2002).
7: La Albiceleste are in a seventh World Cup final, tied with Brazil for second most ever (Germany have eight).
8: Argentina have scored eight goals after the 85th minute (including extra-time) in this World Cup – a record for a national team in a single edition in the tournament’s history.
13: Argentina have scored more goals in 13 straight World Cup matches, the longest streak in tournament history, and are unbeaten in 19 consecutive major tournament matches (16 wins, three shootout wins).
Julián Alvarez scored the game-winning goal in Argentina’s quarter-final win over Switzerland. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images).
13: Alexis MacAllister has played more World Cup matches without losing than anyone else in the history of the competition (13).
14: La Albiceleste have won a team record 14 games in a row, are unbeaten in a team record 13 World Cup games in a row (11 wins) and have won seven World Cup games in a row for the first time.
19: Argentina have 19 goals in the tournament; 12 of those goals have come after the 75th minute, the most of any team at a single World Cup.
33: Messi has 33 assists (goals and assists) in his World Cup career, more than any player on record (since 1966); his 21 goals are the most by any player in World Cup history, and his 12 assists are the most since the first in 1966.
