Ferran Torres of Spain celebrates scoring his team's first goal against Argentina during the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match, July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, beating defending champions Argentina and soccer legend Lionel Messi in a thrilling, extra-time match in front of more than 70,000 boisterous fans in New Jersey.
Following a scoreless 98 minutes of normal time, Spain thundered to a 1-0 victory in extra time on a goal scored by Ferran Torres in the 105th minute of the contest.
The victory becomes Spain’s second World Cup title, its first since 2010.
President Donald Trump, who attended the match at New York New Jersey Stadium, MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, is expected to present the 18-karat gold World Cup trophy to the winners.
Spain’s victory capped a tournament that began on June 11 with 48 teams and was hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Sunday’s event featured the World Cup's first-ever halftime show with headliners Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS and the Muppets performing.
This will likely be the final World Cup for Argentina's superstar forward Lionel Messi, whose legendary career spans two decades. Messi and Argentina were vying to repeat their 2022 World Cup win over France.
Pedro Porro of Spain celebrates after scoring their second goal against France during their FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal match in Arlington, Texas, July 14, 2026. (Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- Argentina's Lionel Messi could add another milestone to his storied career on Sunday by winning his second World Cup title. To achieve that feat, the defending champions will have to beat Spain, a team that has only allowed one goal this entire tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final arrives after 48 teams competed in over 100 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada over the past six weeks.
Here's what to know ahead of the final weekend of the World Cup.
How did Spain and Argentina get to the final?
Spain advanced to the final after defeating France, a two-time World Cup winner, on Tuesday in a 2-0 upset. France had been tipped as a strong contender for the trophy after previously topping the FIFA men's ranking.
The Spanish men's team, known as La Roja, won its first and only World Cup in 2010. The team most recently won the UEFA European championship in 2024, defeating England 2-1.
Meanwhile, Argentina proved resilient yet again with a stunning comeback against England in the final minutes of its semifinal match on Wednesday. England had been holding onto a 1-0 lead when two late goals from Argentina flipped the score. England was unable to respond and the final score was 2-1.
Argentina has won the World Cup three times, most recently in 2022 with a victory over France in penalty kicks. The team also won the last two Copa America championships in 2021 and 2024.
The final match will kick off on Sunday, July, 19, at 3 p.m. from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
What about the third place game?
England and France are not out of the tournament yet. The two will face each other in the third place game on Saturday, July 18, at 5 p.m. ET from Miami Gardens, Florida.
What other awards are handed out besides the trophy?
The tournament recognizes outstanding individuals through several awards, including the Golden Ball for best player, Golden Boot for top scorer, Golden Glove for best goalkeeper and the FIFA Young Player Award.
Medals will be handed out to the players and coaching staff of the first, second and third place winners.
Where can I watch the final?
The last match will air live in the U.S. on FOX for the English-language broadcast, with streaming on FOX One, and Telemundo for the Spanish-language broadcast. The Telemundo broadcast will also stream on Peacock.
New York Knicks win best team at the 34th annual ESPY Awards. (Disney/Frank Micelotta)
(NEW YORK) -- It was a night to remember for some of the sports world's biggest stars at the 34th annual ESPY Awards on Wednesday.
The best sports moments, winning plays, and superstar players were celebrated at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Olympian Simone Biles presented the ESPY Award for best team to the New York Knicks, one month after the NBA team secured this year's championship title in five games against the San Antonio Spurs.
"I hope this trophy, especially here in New York, getting this trophy shows the word love. The love of each other and this team is what got us through the humps in December when we were not playing our best basketball. The love of the fans is what got us back [when we were] down 29 at home," Knicks center-forward Karl-Anthony Towns said in a speech, as the team accepted the award.
Knicks guard Jose Alvarado added, "We've got the best fans in the world."
Knicks captain Jalen Brunson also won multiple ESPYs on Wednesday, including best championship performance and best athlete - men's sports.
"I'm at a loss of words. It has been a hell of a run to say the least," Brunson said.
Brunson's teammate OG Anunoby also took home the ESPY for best play for his now-famous tip-in that cemented the Knicks' eventual win of game 4 during the NBA Finals.
"I think it's pretty exciting for everyone," Anunoby said of his ESPYs experience last night. "I mean I grew up watching this award show, so full circle, crazy to be here."
The ESPYs also honored athletes on the rise, including 24-year-old Olympic gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu, who earned the ESPY for best breakthrough athlete.
"The past six months have been really crazy, but I've been enjoying it," Liu said. "And once it's all kind of slowing down, I'm gonna journal about it, so I can remember everything."
"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts delivered the Arthur Ashe Courage Award honoring late NBA trailblazer Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in league history.
Collins died of a brain tumor in May, so Roberts presented the award to his twin brother Jarron Collins, who accepted it on his behalf.
"It really does make all the difference in the world. Representation matters," Jaron Collins said.
"When you see someone of the LGBTQ community following their passions, following their dreams, living their life, being their authentic self -- it inspires other people," he added. "So, my brother, being a professional NBA basketball player and being openly gay, lived his life, lived his dream, lived his truth."
Argentina players pose for a team photograph before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
(ATLANTA) -- Argentina will advance to the 2026 World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 on Wednesday.
Spain and Argentina will now face each other to determine the winner of the 2026 tournament on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. ET from New York-New Jersey Stadium.
After a scoreless first half, England struck first in the match with a goal from Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute. Argentina responded with a late goal from Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute to tie the game.
A goal by Argentina's Lautaro Martinez in stoppage time put them up 2-1.
Defending champions Argentina came into the tournament as one of the strong favorites to win the trophy. This tournament is expected to be Lionel Messi's final World Cup appearance after 20 years representing his country on the world stage.
Messi and Argentina hoisted the trophy in 2022, after defeating France in penalty kicks.
England will play for third place against France on Saturday, July 18, at 5 p.m. from Miami Stadium.
Folarin Balogun of the United States reacts after Belgium's third goal by Hans Vanaken during their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match, July 6, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Sarah Stier/Fifa via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- The United States' run in the 2026 World Cup has come to a close after a 4-1 loss to Belgium on Monday.
The loss comes after the U.S. men's national team's star striker, Folarin Balogun, was deemed eligible to play in the match after his one-game suspension from a red card was put on hold by FIFA.
While the U.S. team expected a boost from Balogun's presence on the pitch, it could not recover from a pair of goals in the first half from Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere, despite a free kick goal from U.S. midfielder Malik Tillman that very briefly tied the game. Two more Belgian goals in the second half put victory out of reach for the Americans.
Belgium will go on to face Spain in the quarterfinals in Los Angeles on Friday.
Balogun was given a red card during the July 1 game against Bosnia-Herzegovina after the U.S. player clashed with an opposing player's foot in the second half. The penalty automatically landed Balogun a one-game suspension. FIFA told ABC News at the time that the call was final and not able to be overturned or appealed.
FIFA said on Sunday that "the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year."
The football governing body added that if Balogun "commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement."
Ahead of Monday night's game, the U.S. men's national team confirmed that Balogun will be in the starting lineup.
The Royal Belgium Football Association (RBFA) released a statement Sunday that said in part that it was "astonished" by FIFA's decision to allow Balogun to play in Monday's match against them.
"In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options," the RBFA statement further said.
European soccer's governing body, UEFA, said in a statement on Monday that a red card suspension is "a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension."
"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," UEFA said.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters after last week's match, which the U.S. won 2-0, that Balogun was "sad" and "disappointed" about the call and that the clash was not intentional, according to ESPN.
The USMNT's victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina was their first in the World Cup round of 32 since 2002 and only their second knockout round victory in program history.
The American men's best result at the World Cup was a third-place finish at the inaugural tournament all the way in 1930.
The U.S. team had been impressive in the 2026 tournament, finishing the group stage with a 2-1 record, with wins over Paraguay and Australia before a loss to Turkey, which occurred once the team had already secured a spot in the next round.
ABC News' Kelly McCarthy and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
Tim Ream the United States applauds fans after their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match against Turkey, June 25, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- U.S. Men's National Team captain Tim Ream says the reversal of forward Folarin Balogun's red card ban is a "boost of positivity" for the team ahead of their World Cup showdown on Monday against Belgium in the Round of 16.
"I think he's excited that he can actually contribute on the field and not just be a cheerleader, but Balo, he's got a big smile, and he's been beaming ear to ear since we all found out the news," Ream told "Good Morning America," in an interview that aired Monday.
Balogun is now eligible to play in Monday's game following a red card he received during the team's July 1 match with Bosnia-Herzegovina for landing on an opposing player's ankle.
Balogun was ejected mid-match and subsequently received a one-game ban. FIFA told ABC News at the time that the referee's call was final and not able to be overturned or appealed.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters after the match, which the U.S. won 2-0, that Balogun was "disappointed" by the call, claiming the clash was not intentional, according to ESPN.
Following the July 1 game, President Donald Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino and discussed the red card suspension, which would have forced Balogun to miss Monday's game, a U.S. official told ABC News on Monday.
The official said Trump wanted to better understand the reason the red card was given and why there was a suspension.
On Sunday, FIFA reversed course, announcing that "the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year" and adding that if Balogun "commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement."
FIFA's about-face has sparked outcry from other groups, including the European and Belgian soccer associations.
"The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is astonished by FIFA's decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play" in Monday's match, the RBFA said in part in a statement Sunday.
"In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options," the group added.
In a follow-up statement on Monday, the RBFA said it was challenging FIFA's decision to dismiss its earlier red card ban and reinstate Balogun ahead of Monday's match.
The organization said it was "deeply concerned by the course of events" and pledged to fight the decision.
But FIFA said Monday afternoon it was rejecting the RBFA's appeal.
"The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision," FIFA said in part.
The Union of European Football Associations, or UEFA, also expressed "disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision" in a statement Monday.
"A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted. It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension," it said in part.
"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition."
U.S. Soccer, meanwhile, welcomed FIFA's decision in a statement on Sunday.
"We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow. Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans," the group said.
The U.S. official who spoke to ABC News on Monday said the process for appealing a red card ban is run by an independent board, adding that the U.S. government provided additional evidence that was used in the appeal process and saying the "correct and proper outcome was achieved."
A soccer ball on the grass in the field by the net (Marcia Straub/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) -- The U.S. men's national team defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday night in their highest-stakes 2026 World Cup match so far, clinching a spot in the round of 16.
It was the U.S. men's team's first World Cup knockout win in 24 years.
The U.S. takes on Belgium on July 6.
U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, who scored a goal in the first half, was handed a controversial red card in the 64th minute following a clash with an opposing player. The red card makes him ineligible for the next match.
Later, Malik Tillman followed up Balogun's goal with a free kick in the 82nd minute, padding the U.S. lead.
Wednesday's win, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, came after the team's impressive first-place record in the group stage. The USMNT finished the group stage with a 2-1 record, with wins over Paraguay and Australia before a loss to Turkey, which occurred once the team had already secured a spot in the next round.
The matchup versus Bosnia-Herzegovina was the U.S. men's team first knockout game following the earlier group stage.
After 48 teams descended upon Canada, Mexico and the United States, 32 teams remained in the knockout stages, which started earlier this week, vying to hoist the trophy on July 19.
With its loss, Bosnia-Herzegovina is eliminated from the World Cup.
Earlier Wednesday, Belgium defeated Senegal 3-2, securing its spot in the next round.
On Tuesday, Mexico defeated Ecuador to advance.
The round of 32 kicked off to a dramatic start on Monday, with Brazil coming from behind to beat Japan 2-1 before Paraguay eliminated Germany in penalty kicks , in one of the most shocking upsets of the tournament so far.
Morocco also topped Netherlands on Monday to clinch a spot in the next round.
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