+ Spain-Argentina, Sunday, 9:00 p.m.
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV4/TV4 Play/P4 Radio Sport
+ “The King vs. the Prince”
Lionel Messi, 39, against Lamine Yamal, 19. The World Cup final offers a symbolic meeting between one of the greatest footballers in history and the supposed superstar of the future. The meeting is extra tantalising considering their first meeting when they were photographed for an advertising campaign for Unicef when Yamal was a baby. Now that they are meeting for the first time on a football pitch, they are doing so in a World Cup final.
+ Attack vs. Defense
Attack-happy Argentina against defensively strong Spain. Argentina is the tournament's most prolific scoring team and has scored 19 goals up to the final, while Spain's defence has been rock solid. The team has conceded only one goal in the tournament, in the quarter-finals where Belgian Charles de Ketelaere broke the Spanish deadlock.
+ Yamal bandaged - but expected to play
Both Lamine Yamal, who appeared to have a bandage around his left thigh, and Pedro Porro, the scorer in the semi-final against France, trained with the rest of the team during Thursday's training session. National team captain Luis de la Fuente expects both to be fit for the final. In Argentina, Facundo Medina remains a question mark, having not played since the round of 16 against Egypt.
+ Donald Trump on site
The White House confirmed on Thursday that US President Donald Trump will be in attendance to watch the final. He is also expected to present the trophy to the winning team.
The president's presence will crown the most watched, safest and most successful World Cup in American history, said press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
+ External circumstances can play a role
High heat and high humidity could be a factor during the World Cup final. There is speculation that temperatures will reach 40 degrees in and around New York on match day. Smoke from extensive forest fires in Canada during the week has also drifted over the northeastern United States, causing a sharp decline in air quality in the area. However, the forecast for Sunday suggests better air quality as rain is expected on Saturday.
+ Strikes at the end of matches
Argentina's run to the knockout stages of the World Cup has been phenomenal. Of the team's 11 goals from the round of 16 onwards, nine have come after the 79th minute. Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and England have all felt the dreaded pressure from Argentina.
+ Could become the third nation to take the double
Argentina has the opportunity to become only the third nation in history to defend a World Cup title. Italy was the first to do so in 1934 and 1938, and Brazil won the World Cup in both 1958 and 1962. If Argentina wins Sunday's final, they can be crowned world champions for the fourth time; Spain's only World Cup triumph is from 2010.
+ The March meeting was cancelled
Spain and Argentina were scheduled to meet in an international match in Doha in March, but the match was cancelled due to the unstable security situation in the region at the time. The match was dubbed the Finalissima, a meeting between the reigning European champions and their South American counterparts.
+ The trio can become a quintet
Only three teenagers in history have been trusted to start a World Cup final in football. Pelé is the youngest ever; he was just 17 years and 249 days old when Brazil defeated Sweden 5–2 in 1958. The other two are the Italian Guiseppe Bergomi in 1982, and the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé in 2018. It is worth noting that all three became world champions. In Sunday's final, Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí have the opportunity to join the trio.
+ Final judge from Slovenia
Slovenian Slavko Vinčić, 46, will be in charge of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. Vinčić has extensive final experience, having previously refereed the 2022 Europa League final and the 2024 Champions League final. The final will be his fourth match in the championship. He has previously refereed Brazil-Morocco, Jordan-Algeria and the round of 16 between Mexico and Ecuador.
