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It's worth taking a moment to recognize just how rare World Cup finals truly are.
Sunday's grand spectacle between Spain and Argentina at the somewhat controversial venue of MetLife Stadium marks the 23rd edition in the history of the men's tournament. More people have orbited the moon than have played in a World Cup final—though reaching East Rutherford, N.J. on match day may actually prove the greater challenge.
The burden of history weighs heavily on all involved.
The players chosen by Luis de la Fuente and Lionel Scaloni must not only execute their own intricate tactical plans and break down those devised by their opponents, but they must also come to terms with the fact that simply being part of this match places them among an extraordinarily rare and treasured group in football history. No pressure whatsoever.
Spain Stick to the Script
Only one World Cup-winning side has ever fielded an identical starting lineup in both its opening match and the final—the legendary Brazil squad of 1970, a team already so iconic that change felt unthinkable even as the legend was being written.
De la Fuente, it should be remembered, began the tournament with Lamine Yamal on the bench. The Barcelona sensation has steadily regained full fitness and was never going to be left out of the starting lineup as long as he was fit to play.
Yamal's inclusion came as no surprise, and every other selection De la Fuente made was equally expected—this was, after all, the same XI that dismantled France so emphatically in the semifinal.
Spain starting XI vs. Argentina (4-2-3-1): Unai Simón, Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Álex Baena; Mikel Oyarzabal.
Lionel Messi Equals Staggering World Cup Feat
Every moment Lionel Messi experiences this summer feels like another page of history being written. He didn't even need to touch the ball to etch a new milestone—his name in the starting lineup alone confirmed his participation in a third World Cup final across different tournaments.
Brazilian legend Cafú is the only other player in the history of the men's game to have appeared on such a stage as many times. The iconic right back came on as a substitute in 1994, started against France in 1998, and led Brazil to glory as captain in 2002. Messi has worn the captain's armband for Argentina in all three of his final appearances.
While none of the current squad were part of the national team setup back in 2014, Scaloni has largely maintained the core group that represented Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar. "We have a solid foundation," the coach has said previously.
"We have many players, I'd say 60–70%, who are always the same. And that helps when you get together, all those doubts dissipate: getting to know each other, understanding how we play, what we want, helps minimize any issues that might arise."
Argentina starting XI vs. Spain (4-4-2): Emiliano Martínez; Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Nico González; Lionel Messi, Julián Alvarez.
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2026 World Cup Full Lineups
