Picture : Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, two generations for one winner !
World Cup 2026 Statistics – Final Preview
Spain vs Argentina (New York, July 19)
*It will be the 2nd World Cup final for Spain and the 7th for Argentina who is now the nation that have played the second-most World Cup finals, behind only Germany (8).
Brazil (6), Italy (6) and France (4) are the next in this ranking.
*This is the second all-Spanish-speaking final in World Cup history, following the very first in 1930 (Uruguay vs Argentina).
*The winner will become the first team to conquer the World Cup twice in the XXI Century.
The previous 6 editions in the current century saw 6 different triumphant nations.
*Regardless of who wins the final, the 2030 tournament will be the first World Cup in history where the defending champions are also a host nation.
*Spain and Argentina have faced each other in only one World Cup match before: a 2-1 victory for Argentina on match-day 1 of the 1966 tournament, with two goals from Luis Artime.
*Argentina come to the final with a streak of 14 wins across all competitions (including 7 in the World Cup).
*Spain under Luis de la Fuente always pass to the final:
Nations League 2022-23 – Champions
Euro 2024 – Champions
Nations League 2024-25 – Runners-up
World Cup 2026 – Finalists
*Spain are the first team since Argentina in 2014 to reach a World Cup final without ever having trailed in a match during the tournament.
*Only three national teams won the World Cup without ever trailing in a match so far:
Italy in 1938 (4 matches)
Italy in 1982 (7 matches)
Germany in 1990 (7 matches)
Spain have now the chance to join them.
*Three national teams won the World Cup while conceding only 2 goals:
France in 1998 (7 matches)
Italy in 2006 (7 matches)
Spain in 2010 (7 matches)
Spain have now the chance to became the World champions with the fewest goals conceded.
They let in only 1 goal in 7 matches during the current edition.
*Argentina have the chance to become the third teams to win two consecutive World Cups, after:
Italy in 1934 & 1938,
Brazil in 1958 & 1962.
*At last 3 World Cup editions, there was always one player who won the Champions League in the same season:
Khedira in 2014 (Germany, Real Madrid)
Varane in 2018 (France, Real Madrid)
Julián Álvarez in 2022 (Argentina, Manchester City).
Now Fabián Ruiz can prolong this tradition (UCL winner with PSG) if Spain win the final.
*Atlético Madrid is the club with the most players (9) qualified for the final:
Marcos Llorente, Álex Baena, Marc Pubill from Spain,
Juan Musso, Nahuel Molina, Nico Gonzalez, Julián Álvarez, Giuliano Simeone, Thiago Almada from Argentina.
The next are: Barcelona (8), Arsenal (3), Athletic Bilbao (3).
*There will be no Bayern Munich players in the World Cup final for the first time since 1978, no Real Madrid players for the first time since 1994.
*Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has won all seven finals he has played in during his professional career (four with Argentina, two with Arsenal, and one with Aston Villa).
*If “Dibu” Martínez plays the full final game, he will finish the 2026 World Cup as the leader of the ranking for most minutes played in the tournament (690 by now).