Spain and Argentina go head-to-head at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday night (8pm UK time) for the chance to win the 2026 World Cup.
The match pits together the current European champions, Spain, against the South American champions, Argentina, for the first time in history, with the latter also the world champions following their success four years ago.
The three-time winners will now go in search of their fourth trophy as they bid to record back-to-back triumphs, while 2010 victors Spain are targeting a second success in what will be their second ever World Cup final.
Read on for the best of the World Cup stats you might see in Spain vs Argentina.
Stats you might see in the World Cup Final
Spain stats
World record
- Spain can set a new world record of 38 games unbeaten if they avoid defeat to Argentina in normal or extra-time.
Spain’s classy 2-0 victory over France in the semi-finals not only propelled the country into just their second ever World Cup final, but stretched their outstanding unbeaten run to 37 matches in all competitions (excluding penalty shoot-outs).
This remarkable run is a new national record, which drew them level with Italy’s undefeated 37 game world record. Now La Roja, who haven’t lost since a defeat to Colombia in March 2024, need to avoid defeat against Argentina in normal or extra-time to set a new record.
So, even if they lost on penalties, they would still be in the record books as FIFA classify matches level after 120 minutes as draws.
Spain are also enjoying an unbeaten run of 15 matches at major tournaments and have only been beaten once in their last 28 matches at major tournaments (W17 D10), excluding penalty shoot-outs.
De la Fuente’s remarkable run
- Spain manager Luis de la Fuente could extend his unbeaten record at major tournaments to 15 matches.
Speaking of unbeaten streaks, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has yet to be defeated at a major tournament, guiding La Roja through his first 14 matches across the European Championship and World Cup without tasting defeat once.
De la Fuente led Spain to Euro 2024 glory with a seven-game unbeaten run and has since overseen seven unbeaten matches at the 2026 World Cup.
The 65-year-old can now stretch that run to 15 matches in what will be the landmark 50th game in charge of Spain. His current record boasts 37 wins, 10 draws, and just two defeats from 49 games.
Spain’s double quest
- Spain are bidding to win the European Championship and World Cup back-to-back for the second time.
Spain are bidding to go back-to-back as they aim to add the 2026 World Cup to the European Championship trophy they won two summers ago.
La Roja have, of course, accomplished this feat before when they won a hat-trick of major tournaments: 2010 World Cup between Euro 2008 and Euro 2012.
The only other countries to do this are West Germany (Euro 1972 & 1974 World Cup) and France (1998 World Cup & Euro 2000).
So, if Spain win on Sunday, they will become the only country to do this twice.
Red-hot Oyarzabal
- Mikel Oyarzabal (5 goals) could set a new outright record for goals scored by a Spain player at a single World Cup.
Mikel Oyarzabal scored the opening goal from the penalty spot in Spain’s 2-0 semi-final victory over France to propel his tally to five goals this tournament – only five players have scored more this campaign.
That goal brought Oyarzabal level with fellow countrymen Emilio Butragueno (1986) and David Villa (2010) as the highest scoring Spaniards at a single World Cup, a record he has the chance to make his own outright with a goal against Argentina.
No trail runners
- Spain could become the fourth side to win the World Cup without trailing for a single minute in the tournament, joining Italy (1938 & 1982) and Germany (1990).
Spain have kept six clean sheets in seven games en-route to the World Cup final, with goalkeeper Unai Simon conceding just one goal so far this tournament.
In fact, the Spaniards have yet to go behind in any of those seven games, meaning they now have the opportunity to become only the fourth side in history to win the World Cup without trailing for a single second, after Italy (1938 & 1982) and Germany (1990).
Players refusing to lose
- Five players in Spain’s squad have yet to lose at a major tournament, a record they could all extend on Sunday.
Spain have five players in their squad who have each yet to lose a single game at a major tournament: Aymeric Laporte (22), Mikel Oyarzabal (20), Fabian Ruiz (16), Lamine Yamal (14), and Mikel Merino (14).
In fact, Ruiz (49) is yet to lose a match for his country in any capacity, a stunning streak he can extend to 50 matches in the World Cup Final. The PSG star could also become only the 10th player to win the Champions League and World Cup in the same season.
Argentina stats
Back-to-back
- Argentina can become only the third country to win back-to-back World Cups and the first since Brazil (1958 and 1962).
2022 winners Argentina can become only the third country in history to win back-to-back World Cups after Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962).
However, they will be looking to break a streak of the last three reigning champions who have played in a second successive World Cup final and lost, including themselves back in 1990.
The Quadruple
- Argentina could become the first country to win four successive major international tournaments.
Argentina are enjoying a remarkable period in their history. In the last five years they have won the 2021 Copa America, 2022 World Cup, and then the 2024 Copa America.
If they were to add the 2026 World Cup to this collection, they will become the first country to win four successive major tournaments, surpassing Spain’s previous international benchmark of three on the spin between 2008 and 2012.
Scaloni’s rarest of feats
- Lionel Scaloni can become only the second manager to win the World Cup twice after Vittorio Pozzo went back-to-back with Italy in 1934 & 1938.
Lionel Scaloni has become only the seventh manager to reach two World Cup finals and now has the chance to go one step better by achieving the rarest of feats of lifting the trophy more than once.
Only one manager in the history of the World Cup has ever done the tournament twice. Step forward Vittorio Pozzo, who went back-to-back many moons ago with Italy in 1934 & 1938.
The streak
- Argentina are bidding to set a new South American record of 15th successive wins in all competitions.
Argentina are on fire at the moment, winning each of their last 14 matches in all competitions since a 1-0 defeat to Ecuador in September, which is their only defeat in their last 22 games since November 2024.
A win in the World Cup final would see Argentina set a new South American record of 15 wins on the spin, surpassing Brazil’s tally of 14 from 1997.
It would also see Argentina become the first country to win all their matches at a single World Cup since Brazil in 2002.
Magical Messi
Where on earth do we start with Lionel Messi, who is chasing the World Cup, Golden Ball, and Golden Boot hat-trick.
Messi is the only player to ever win the Golden Ball award twice (2014 & 2022), a record he could extent to three on Sunday, while he’s chasing his first ever Golden Boot, having just missed out to Kylian Mbappe four years ago.
When Messi steps onto the pitch against Spain, he will become only the sixth player to play in three World Cup finals (2014, 2022 and 2026). He bagged a brace in the 2022 final and could become only the third player to score in successive World Cup finals, while he’ll have one eye on matching or surpassing Mbappe’s record tally of four goals in World Cup finals.
Messi has a record 33 goal contributions in 33 World Cup matches, including 12 this campaign: he needs just one more goal or assist to draw level with Germany’s Gerd Muller who holds the record with 13 goal involvements in a single edition from 1970.
Messi, who will be 39 years and 25 days old on Sunday, can also become the second oldest World Cup winner after Italy’s Dino Zoff who was 40 years and 133 days old when he won the 1982 World Cup.
If this does turn out to be Messi’s final World Cup match, he could end it having played the most matches, scored the most goals, accumulated the most assists, most Golden Ball awards, and joint second most World Cup trophies in the tournament’s history.
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