Spain and Argentina Face Off in FIFA World Cup 2026 Final

Kathmandu. European champions Spain and former world champions Argentina will face each other in the much-anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 final at 12:45 AM on Monday according to Nepali time.

The starting eleven for this historic mega clash has been released for both teams. Argentina, the Copa America champions, are entering the field with the aim of adding a fourth star to their jersey, while Spain, the Euro champions, are on a campaign to lift the World Cup trophy for the second time.

For the title clash, Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente has fielded the same winning starting team that defeated France in the semi-finals. There have been no changes to the Spanish team. Spain's defense will be handled by Marc Cucurella, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsí, and Pedro Porro, while Unai Simón will be in charge of the goalpost. Fabián Ruiz, Rodri, and Álex Baena will be in the midfield. Similarly, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, and Mikel Oyarzabal will handle the attack.

On the other hand, Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni has made three significant changes to the starting team that secured victory against England in the semi-finals. Nahuel Molina, Giuliano Simeone, and Leandro Paredes have returned to the bench, while Gonzalo Montiel, Rodrigo De Paul, and Nicolás González have made it into the starting eleven. Emiliano Martínez will be in goal for Argentina, while Nicolás Tagliafico, Lisandro Martínez, Cristian Romero, and Gonzalo Montiel will be in defense. The midfield will consist of Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, and Rodrigo De Paul, while captain Lionel Messi will present a challenge in the attack alongside Nicolás González and Julián Álvarez.

Similarly, this final will also be very significant in terms of the record for the highest goal scorer in World Cup history. Kylian Mbappé of France is currently at the top as the highest goal scorer in men's FIFA World Cup history with 22 goals. He has surpassed Argentine captain Lionel Messi, who is playing his final World Cup match with 21 goals. This match is a golden opportunity for Messi to improve his personal record and make Argentina champions for the second consecutive time.