How to Watch Spain vs. Argentina and Messi in World Cup Final: TV Channel, Stream, Time

Spain and Argentina meet in their 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET from New York New Jersey Stadium. Spain opened the group stage with a scoreless draw against Cape Verde, then won six straight to reach the final. It routed Austria, 3-0, in the round of 32, then beat Portugal, 1-0, in the round of 16 to send Cristiano Ronaldo home. Spain finally conceded in the quarterfinals, but Mikel Merino scored his second straight winning goal in a 2-1 win over Belgium, the only goal Spain has allowed all tournament. Argentina carried a perfect record into the final, though nothing about the defending champions' run has been easy. It opened Group J with routs of Algeria and Austria before capping the group stage with a 3-1 win over Jordan. From there, Argentina needed extra time three straight times: a 3-2 win over Cape Verde in the round of 32, a 3-2 win over Egypt in the round of 16, and a 3-1 win over Switzerland in the quarterfinals. It punched its ticket to the final by beating England, 2-1, in Wednesday's semifinal. Below are the details on how to watch. How to Watch Spain vs. Argentina Spain vs. Argentina Preview Rodri against Lionel Messi in the middle third is the one battle that will keep this final on its axis. Spain's whole game flows through Rodri. Spain have conceded just 1 goal in 7 matches, and Rodri leads them with 9 interceptions while anchoring the possession structure that keeps opponents pinned back and cuts off central space. If he controls the tempo and wins those first few loose balls after turnovers, Spain can keep Argentina from finding Messi in the pockets where he starts to bend a match. Argentina bring the sharpest counter to that control because Messi has been the tournament's most decisive creator and finisher. He has 8 goals and 4 assists, and Argentina's attack has shown it can strike late and from different angles once he starts drawing pressure and releasing runners around him. Spain's structure is built to crowd the center, but Messi only needs a few clean touches between the lines to turn a controlled game into a dangerous one. Watch the moments right after Spain lose the ball. If Messi is receiving there with time, Spain are in trouble. Players To Watch Everyone needs to watch Lionel Messi in this game because this might be the last chance to see the greatest player of all time play in an important game for his country. He is looking to win his fourth straight major title for La Albiceleste and add to his record 21 career World Cup goals. At age 39, Messi is only continuing to get better. With his two assists against England, he now has eight goals and two assists in this tournament. He became the first player ever to have over 10 goal involvements in consecutive World Cups after scoring seven and assisting on three goals in 2022. Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez has a critical assignment on Sunday. As a central midfielder, he will be tasked with going against the heart of Spain's system in the middle of the field where Rodri and Fabian Ruiz typically dictate the game on their terms. Fernandez had a great performance against England. Even beyond his goal, Fernandez was very effective in his passing where he made few mistakes, switched the point of attack, and regularly got the ball into dangerous positions. He needs to be just as effective against Spain for Argentina to have a good chance. Lamine Yamal might not appear to be one of the key players to watch in his first World Cup campaign. But don't count out the No. 1 player in FOX Sports' Top 100 players at the World Cup. After scoring a goal in Spain's 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the group stage, Yamal did not register a goal contribution in the subsequent matches, a contrast with his form at Euro 2024 and the 2025 UEFA Nations League. However, Yamal has shown signs of progression since returning from a hamstring injury suffered before the tournament and is still a big part of Spain's offense. "Every time he gets the ball, there's this real fear in the French team," Landon Donovan said after Spain's 2-0 victory over France in the semifinals. If Yamal can continue to instill fear in defenders in the final, Spain will have a strong opportunity to lift the trophy Sunday. The 19-year-old central defender might be the best centerback in the world after what he has shown in this tournament. Already a regular starter for Barcelona, Cubarsi has been even more impressive with Spain as he is a major reason why his team has conceded just one goal across its seven games at the World Cup. Handling Argentina will require another big effort, but if he is successful, he will widely be considered a global superstar and the most valuable player in the world at his position. The Manchester City central midfielder is the engine of Spain's system. He is a tireless worker who is so effective on both sides of the ball. He will present Argentina with the toughest test it has faced at this World Cup. If he can control the midfield and force Argentina into chasing the game the way France did, Spain has an excellent chance of winning. For La Roja, it starts with him. Spain vs. Argentina Odds Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.