Football passion has unleashed a wave of reservations and preparations in the main Spanish and Argentine corners of New York and New Jersey to celebrate in style the great 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
The match will be played on Sunday at the MetLife Stadium (officially called during the tournament as New York/New Jersey Stadium) and although only 82,500 spectators will be lucky enough to see the match in person, thousands of fans have traveled to New York to experience the final as close as possible.
In Manhattan, the Spanish feeling will be divided between La Nacional, the emblematic corner on 14th Street that opened its doors in 1925, and the Little Spain Market, founded by chef José Andrés in Hudson Yards.
FIFA considers World Cup expansion a success
An analysis by FIFA’s technical study group considers the expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams a success, as fears that the tournament’s expansion could become “a disaster” for some of the smaller teams “have not materialized,” reports Europa Press.
This was stated, among others, by former Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger at a press conference before Sunday’s final between Spain and Argentina. He also noted that the quality of the tournament has been “very high.”
The gap between the big and small nations “is narrowing,” explained Wenger. As an example, he mentioned Cape Verde, one of the weakest teams, a priori, that reached the round of 16 in their World Cup debut and only lost to Argentina after extra time in that same round.
Scaloni’s Praetorian Guard
“We are never lost.” This phrase from Leo Messi after one of the agonizing victories in this World Cup encapsulates the philosophy Lionel Scaloni wanted to bring to the Argentine national team when, after the 2018 Russia World Cup, he received the call from the AFA to take charge of the “senior team.” He had experienced as Jorge Sampaoli’s assistant the shock of falling in the first round of 16 against France. He had seen the wear of the coach, consumed by the responsibility of having a squad of stars led by Messi that was not enough to fight for the World Cup. Scaloni had his diagnosis of why.
He did not expect the call from president Claudio Tapia nor questioned why it came, whether due to the AFA’s financial tightness or the need for a change after 25 years without winning a title. They gave him six friendlies, as a test, and freedom to recruit a technical staff that he turned into his Praetorian Guard.
Read the full information by Inma Lidón here.
Traffic cuts this Sunday in Madrid due to World Cup final
The Madrid City Council will cut traffic circulation early Sunday afternoon around the two screens in Colón, from where the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at 9:00 p.m. can be followed, affecting mobility in the square, Serrano, Génova, and Castellana.
From early afternoon, closures will be extended depending on the crowd occupying the square and the roadway, both in Colón and Serrano, Goya, Castellana, and Génova.
Read the full information by Paula Vega. here.
Rabiot denounces “unacceptable attitudes” in some teammates
Adrien Rabiot, midfielder of the French national team, denounced “unacceptable attitudes” in some of his teammates after losing to England (4-6) on Saturday in the third and fourth place match of the World Cup, reports Efe. The French had ended the first period with a 0-4 deficit.
“We entered this first half quite shamefully (…) I have seen behaviors in some players that I had never seen before. It is a bit disappointing because it was the last match to leave a good image in this competition,” said Rabiot in statements to BeinSports after the match, widely spread this Sunday in France.
Capdevilla will be able to watch the final
The former Spanish international, 2010 World Cup champion with the national team, will be able to attend the great final against Argentina in New York after finally being granted a visa to travel to the USA. A couple of days ago, the former Espanyol player reported that his ESTA, the permit needed to enter the country, had been denied.
It has not been disclosed how he managed to resolve the situation, but Capdevilla has confirmed via a photo on social media that he is already traveling to New York with Marcos Senna.
Storms will clear wildfire smoke before World Cup final
The smoke from wildfires in Canada, which has enveloped the northeastern United States in a haze, would mostly dissipate from the New Jersey area just in time for the World Cup final to be played this Sunday, thanks to thunderstorms crossing the area, meteorologists forecasted.
However, unhealthy air quality warnings remained in effect on Saturday across a wide swath of the United States. At MetLife Stadium, where the final is held, heavy rain fell and several thunderclaps were heard.
And U.S. President Donald Trump blamed Canada for the smoke crossing the border.
Read more A final to embrace and an exception: the giant screens that will unite Spain
Guadalajara Provincial Band concert moved to July 20 due to World Cup
The Guadalajara City Council has decided to reschedule the concert of the Guadalajara Provincial Band, originally planned for this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. at the La Concordia Bandstand, to Monday, July 20, reports Europa Press.
The concert will bring together on the bandstand a century-old formation, whose origins date back to 1867, currently led by Nuria Matamala with about twenty musicians, the City Council reported in a press release.
Exorbitant prices for tickets
Anyone looking for a last-minute ticket to see Messi and Lamine Yamal in the World Cup final must be really willing to pay astronomical amounts for a ticket.
The official FIFA resale site had its cheapest tickets on Saturday morning at $6,411.25 for a mid-level view behind the goal. Within hours, none were left.
Tickets in the upper tier corners were priced at $10,000. To be much closer to the action, buyers would have to spend around $16,000, or up to nearly $60,000 for special seats.
Other sites like SeatGeek and StubHub also offered upper tier tickets from around $10,000. Some seats in the lower levels approached $35,000.
Laporta: “Lamine Yamal is a genius, the final will be like playing in Rocafonda”
Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, highlighted Lamine Yamal, Barça and Spanish national team player, as “a genius” who will take the World Cup final this Sunday against Argentina as “playing a match in Rocafonda,” reports Efe.
“Lamine is a genius. I like his attitude because of his way of being. He is not fazed by these events that could, in some way, overwhelm a person’s attitude and calmness. Lamine is very brave and very mature for his age. He will sleep peacefully and tomorrow he has a football match. It won’t be in Rocafonda, but he will take it as if he were playing there, where he dribbled the dogs. He is a player who has been formed on the street and is a very attractive player,” he said at an event in Little Spain, New York.
Spain of the fearless generation
Spain fears nothing and no one, “because we are the fearless generation.” Lamine Yamal says this not out of arrogance, but because the facts are indisputable. They won the Euro Cup with brilliant play, crossing paths with Italy, Germany, France, and England, the most powerful teams on the continent. Kroos, Mbappé, Bellingham, Kane… nothing stopped a team shaken by the energy and boldness of Lamine and Nico Williams, but the foundation of players as young as seasoned and with an unbreakable mentality, like Rodrigo, Dani Olmo, or Mikel Merino.
They grew up with the winning Spain from 2008 to 2012, of the two Euro Cups and the World Cup, and know what it is to dominate in youth categories – U-19 and U-20 Europeans – and to hang Olympic medals around their necks. “How can we not be excited if we come from being European champions, if this jersey has already touched the sky, if we have dreamed of this all our lives,” say Pau Cubarsí, Alex Grimaldo, and Borja Iglesias in a promotional video for Adidas.
Read the full information by Inma Lidón here.
Uribes: “Spain has proven to be the great team of this World Cup”
José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), assured that Spain, before the 2026 World Cup final this Sunday against Argentina, has already “proven to be the great team” of the tournament and hopes to crown it with the second world champion star, he told Efe.
“With great excitement and many nerves. Already with the feeling of pride of a team that has reached here with great solvency and that must be emphasized. Whatever happens in the final, I hope we win. Spain has proven to be the great team of this World Cup and that is a value we already take with us, now we are going to play and, if we play our game, we will surely win,” he said to EFE during an event in Little Spain, New York, on the occasion of the World Cup final.
Tebas: “If we play as we know, the referee will go unnoticed”
Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, expressed confidence in Spain’s chances of winning the World Cup final this Sunday against Argentina since, in his opinion, if the Spanish team plays as it “knows,” the referee “will go unnoticed.”
“Looking forward to the match. If we play as we know how to play, the refereeing doesn’t matter, it will go unnoticed,” he said during an event in Little Spain, New York, on the occasion of the World Cup final, reported by Efe.
“I don’t know if in World Cup history there has been or will be another like Spain’s match against France. I have seen it replayed and some plays many times, like Pedro Porro’s goal, we won’t see anything like it,” he praised.
