18 years ago, then-FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi posed for a photoshoot in which he bathed a baby named Lamine Yamal. Now, improbably, Yamal is Barcelona’s talisman and one of the stars on Spain’s national team, which has advanced to the World Cup final to face none other than Messi’s Argentina. There may be no such thing as destiny in sports, but soccer sometimes feels like it.
The winner of this afternoon’s 3 p.m. ET final at New York/New Jersey Stadium will be a worthy world champion, regardless of which team ultimately lifts the sport’s most lofty prize. It will be historic regardless; either Messi will become the first player to lift the World Cup trophy twice as captain or Yamal will fulfill his prophecy by becoming the youngest player to win both the Euros and the World Cup.
Throughout the World Cup, DraftKings Network has highlighted several of the tournament’s marquee matchups, breaking down every goal and major moment. Here’s how the Final played out:
Spain vs. Argentina odds
Spain is a +125 favorite to win in regular time (-160 to lift the trophy) at DraftKings Sportsbook, and the Albiceleste are +260 (+135 to win the World Cup). There are +200 odds that the match will ultimately go to extra time.
Tracking Spain vs. Argentina
Follow along as DKNetwork tracks the World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina! This section will be updated.
FT: AND IT’S OFFICIAL! GREAT CLEARANCE BY FERRÁN, AND SPAIN HAS WON THE WORLD CUP! FERRÁN TORRES WAS THE HERO! LA ROJA ARE NOW TWO-TIME WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS, AND LIONEL MESSI HAS LOST HIS SECOND FINAL! SPAIN HAS WON THE FINALISSMA THAT NEVER HAPPENED!
120’+5: One final free kick for Argentina, perhaps!
120’+4: TWO MINUTES FOR ARGENTINA TO FIND AN EQUALIZER!
120’+1: Giuliano Simeone had a chance to win it with a half-volley from the penalty spot, and he rocketed it over the bar!
120’+1: MESSI SLUNG IN THE CORNER, AND THERE WAS PURE CHAOS! IT WENT BEYOND THE TOUCH LINE FOR ANOTHER CORNER KICK!
120′: MESSI SENT IT FORWARD TO SIMEONE, AND SIMEONE CENTERED IT, AND WHAT A CLEARANCE BY MIKEL MERINO TO SEND IT OVER THE LINE! FIVE MINUTES REMAIN!
117′: WHAT A BLOCK BY MIKEL MERINO, AS MESSI’S SHOT (THE FIRST OF THE MATCH FOR THE ALBICELESTE) HIT HIM IN THE FACE!
116′: Nico Williams had a chance to set himself up with another easy chance, but he fumbled it right past the touch line!
115′: Messi crossed one in, and it was deflected out for a corner! Argentina is pushing!
113′: FERRÁN WAS THROUGH ON GOAL, AND YAMAL FOUND HIM! BUT HE WAS DEEMED OFFSIDE. IT’S STILL 1-0 FOR SPAIN.
112′: Not that it matters too much at this point, but Alexis Mac Allister has now received a yellow card.
110′: Some incredible defense by Pedro Porro, who provided the secondary assist on Ferrán’s goal! What a tournament this has been for Porro! He shut down a dangerous chance started by Messi!
106′: AND FERRÁN TORRES HAS POTENTIALLY SCORED A WORLD-CUP WINNING GOAL FOR SPAIN! PEDRO PORRO CROSSED IT FOR NICO WILLIAMS, AND IT FELL BACK FOR TORRES NEAR THE TOP OF THE SIX-YARD BOX! HE HAMMERED IT HOME WITH HIS LEFT FOOT! SPAIN DESERVES THIS!
106′: Back underway! Can La Roja avoid a penalty shootout?
HT (105′): AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF OF EXTRA TIME, IT’S STILL THE ALBICELESTE WITH ZERO SHOTS! SPAIN HAS 19, INCLUDING 11 ON TARGET. BUT NEITHER TEAM HAS SCORED! WHAT A SPORT THIS IS!
105’+1: Ferrán Torres fell at the edge of the box, but his pleas for a foul were ignored!
103′: MERINO MADE A GREAT RUN, AND NICO WILLIAMS FOUND HIM, BUT HE MISSED JUST WIDE OF THE FAR POST!
102′: Argentina is now going into park-the-bus mode, pulling Julián Álvarez for Marco Senesi, a center-back.
101′: Bad shot decision there by Yamal, who couldn’t get it anywhere near the target from outside the box.
99′: The chaos has now settled, and Rodri has been pulled for Martin Zubimendi, making his World Cup debut. Eric García is on for his World Cup debut as well, replacing Aymeric Laporte.
96′: NICO WILLIAMS SCORED, BUT THERE WAS A FOUL BEFORE! MERINO FOULED OTAMENDI AS HE TURNED TO SHOOT! MARTÍNEZ SPILLED THE SAVE, AND WILLIAMS WAS THERE FOR THE REBOUND!
93′: AMAZING, AMAZING CROSS BY PEDRI TO NICO WILLIAMS, AND IT GRAZED HIS HAIR, AND MARTÍNEZ MADE THE SAVE!
91′: EXTRA TIME HAS STARTED! CAN THE ALBICELESTE FINALLY ATTEMPT A SHOT IN THE NEXT 15 MINUTES?
FT (90′): AND IT’S OFFICIAL! FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT WORLD CUP, THERE WILL BE EXTRA TIME IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL! 15 SHOTS WORTH 1.2 EXPECTED GOALS FOR SPAIN, WITH 10 ON TARGET, AND ZERO SHOTS FOR ARGENTINA!
90’+9: LAMINE YAMAL CURLED IT TOWARDS THE NEAR POST, AND EMI MARTINEZ MADE AN INCREDIBLE SAVE!
90’+6: AFTER A TURNOVER BY JULIÁN ÁLVAREZ, FERRÁN WAS FOULED RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE BOX! SPAIN WILL HAVE A FREE KICK IN A VERY DANGEROUS POSITION WITH A CHANCE TO WIN THE WORLD CUP!
90’+3: NICO WILLIAMS JUST SHOT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOX, AND EMI MARTÍNEZ MADE HIS NINTH SAVE OF THE MATCH! THEN ENZO FERNÁNDEZ SENT PAU CUBARSÍ INTO A TAILSPIN AND EARNED HIMSELF A SECOND YELLOW CARD! ENZO IS OFF! THE SIXTH RED CARD IN A WORLD CUP FINAL!
89′: Rodri, who scored the winner in the Champions League Final for Manchester City in 2023, just skied one over the bar!
87′: A NICE BALL OVER THE TOP BY MIKEL MERINO TO FERRÁN TORRES, AND HE SHANKED IT! 12 SHOTS TO ZERO.
86′: Just five minutes and stoppage time remain, and the World Cup Final remains scoreless! There are now -205 odds that this match will go into extra time! The Albiceleste have still not attempted a shot, the longest that any team has gone in a match without attempting a shot all tournament!
82′: Aaaaaand Enzo Fernández has now received a card for simulation. That sums up what kind of day it’s been for Argentina.
81′: ANOTHER SAVE FOR MARTÍNEZ! NICO WILLIAMS CROSSED IT IN TO AYMERIC LAPORTE, AND LAPORTE HEADED IT AT THE NEAR POST, BUT TOO SOFTLY! TIED FOR THE MOST IN A WORLD CUP FINAL!
77′: A SEVENTH SAVE BY MARTÍNEZ, THIS TIME AFTER A PAU CUBARSÍ STRIKE FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX! HE JUST GOT TO IT WITH A DIVE TO HIS RIGHT!
77′: Another save by Martínez! Pedri didn’t get all of that one from the top of the box.
75′: HERE COMES LA ROJA’S HERO! MIKEL MERINO HAS ENTERED THE GAME ALONGSIDE NICO WILLIAMS, THIS TIME FOR ÁLEX BAENA AND DANI OLMO! MERINO SCORED A LATE WINNER IN THE ROUND OF 16 AND AGAIN IN THE QUARTERFINAL!
73′: Simeone had an opportunity to center it, but his cross was intercepted by Marc Cucurella! The future Real Madrid man has been special! Would Messi have completed that pass if he went out to the right and Lautaro up front? We’ll never know.
70′: Facundo Medina and Giuliano Simeone have come on for Rodrigo De Paul and Cristian Romero! Those are the last two changes for Argentina, at least unless the game goes into extra time! Lautaro Martínez will not appear in this final, barring extra time!
67′: THAT WAS ALMOST IT FOR SPAIN! YAMAL SPLIT TWO DEFENDERS AND SENT IN A BEAUTIFUL CROSS TOWARDS THE NEAR POST, AND FERRÁN HEADED IT RIGHT AT MARTÍNEZ! TIME FOR ANOTHER HYDRATION BREAK!
65′: After the Albiceleste successfully defended another corner, it’s now more likely than not that there will be extra time for the fifth time in six World Cup Finals! There are -110 odds that the teams will be level after 90 minutes!
64′: Another save by Martínez! Olmo’s shot from outside the box was a bouncer that he almost spilled, but it ended up beyond the touchline for a corner.
61′: Yamal’s free kick hit the wall, and the chance turned into nothing! Incredible defending by the Albiceleste! Two changes now for Spain, with Pedri and Ferrán Torres coming on for Fabián Ruiz and Mikel Oyarzabal. Oyarzabal scored the winner in the 2024 Euros and had previously scored in every final in which he’d played, but his night is over!
60′: Pedro Porro has won a free kick from about 10 yards outside the box! Paredes kicked the back of his leg! La Roja could definitely shoot from here!
58′: One more change now: Montiel is off, and Nahuel Molina is on. Montiel had only previously started once this tournament, so this will be a more familiar look for the Albiceleste.
56′: And now, after a tremendous through ball to Dani Olmo, Gonzalo Montiel came to the rescue! Cucurella had a great shot, but Montiel got to it just before and cleared it beyond the touch line!
55′: What a great chance that was from Spain, and a tremendous tackle by 38-year-old Nicolás Otamendi! Yamal started it with an interception deep in La Roja’s own territory, and after a series of lovely passes, including one through Romero’s legs by Oyarzabal, Otamendi cleared it away after Oyarzabal was about to get to it at the penalty spot!
52′: What a disaster this has been for Leandro Paredes so far! He turned it over on his first touch, and now he’s received a yellow card after fouling Rodri and starting a scrum in which he shoved Dani Olmo.
48′: The Albiceleste got away with one there! Gonzalo Montiel and Aymeric Laporte got in a footrace down the right sideline, and it was deflected over the touchline off of Montiel’s toe, but the corner was given anyway!
46′: AND ALREADY, A CHANCE FOR SPAIN! PAREDES, FRESH OFF THE BENCH, TURNED IT OVER, AND BAENA’S SHOT FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX WAS SAVED BY EMI MARTÍNEZ NEAR THE FAR POST!
46′: A tremendous halftime show by Madonna, Gustavo Dudamel, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Shakira is over, and now the stars are once again at the center of the action! Leandro Paredes is on for Argentina, which was thoroughly outplayed in the first half and desperately needs a change.
HT: AND THE WORLD CUP FINAL IS HALFWAY COMPLETE! SPAIN 0, ARGENTINA 0. SO FAR, LA ROJA HAVE ATTEMPTED THREE SHOTS WORTH 0.23 EXPECTED GOALS, AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS TOURNAMENT, THE ALBICELESTE HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED A FIRST-HALF SHOT! THIS SPANISH DEFENSE IS A BRICK WALL, AND THERE ARE NOW +140 ODDS THAT THERE WILL BE EXTRA TIME. Now, the first-ever World Cup Final Halftime Show!
45’+1: Unai Simón just made another clearance after leaving his box! He had to chase down a through ball ahead to Julián Álvarez, and he coolly held his nerve and sent it away! Simón hasn’t had to do much this tournament in terms of saves, but these ball skills are why he starts ahead of David Raya and Joan García!
44‘: Uh oh, a big update for Argentina and not a good one! Lisandro Martínez went down in the box and will have to come off after suffering a leg injury! Nicolás Otamendi is now in for the Albiceleste. Martínez has had an incredible tournament, but it’s now over.
39′: Another great save by Emi Martínez, this time on Oyarzabal, who opened the scoring in the semifinal with a penalty against France! He got a good look from the top of the box, and Martínez got to his left-footed strike with a dive!
34′: Argentina won a set piece, which is as dangerous a situation as any, given that it’s produced the second-most expected goals from set pieces this tournament. It didn’t turn into anything, though; Spain has been one of the best defensive teams against set pieces.
31′: What was almost a mistake by La Roja nearly turned into an opportunity! Their long throw deep in their own territory was poor, but Marc Cucurella chased it down and started a break that ended with a Yamal entry pass to Dani Olmo that just dribbled past the near post. What a high-paced game this is!
24′: And we’ve reached the first-half hydration break! So far, the odds haven’t really moved; Spain is still a +125 favorite to claim the World Cup in regular time.
23′: After another high turnover, Rodri sent one into the box towards Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain’s leading goal scorer, but it bounded away from him towards goal and he didn’t chase hard after it. He might’ve thought he was offside, but that was some weirdly passive play by La Roja’s best finisher, given the potential opportunity.
22′: Messi tried an aggressive ball through the middle to González, but he couldn’t control his touch, ending what looked to be a decent goal-scoring opportunity! Alas, it didn’t matter, as he was offsides, but those are the sorts of passes that only Lionel Andrés Messi sees and makes on a regular basis!
18′: Pedro Porro just made a goal-saving tackle! Nico González got some space near the left side of the 18-yard box, and he was one-on-one with Porro, who stood strong to deny him a shot! The Tottenham Hotspur man has had a truly impressive tournament.
17′: Incredible touch by Yamal to bring it down over the top after a run down the right sideline! He centered it towards the back post, but Emi Martínez was there first! What great, aggressive play by Spain, and some excellent defending by the two-time Yashin Trophy winner!
13′: It didn’t turn into anything. After the ball was recycled to Yamal, Baena’s crossed was blocked by multiple Albiceleste defenders.
12′: The first corner of the game has now been given to La Roja, who have been the far better side so far! It looks like it’ll be an out-swinger sent in by right-footed Álex Baena.
8′: Yet another high turnover by Argentina! Spain’s high press has challenged everyone, and the defending world champs are no exception!
5′: There goes that man! Lamine Yamal played a one-two with Dani Olmo and he had a great opportunity inside the 18-yard-box, but his low shot was saved by a diving Emiliano Martínez! The first shot on target of this World Cup Final!
4′: There hasn’t been a shot yet, but Unai Simón has made his first touch of the game! Simón has become the first goalkeeper ever to keep six clean sheets at the same World Cup! Could he keep a seventh tonight?
1′: THIS IS IT! WE ARE UNDERWAY, AND ARGENTINA STARTS WITH POSSESSION! THE WORLD CUP WINNER WILL BE DECIDED IN THE NEXT THREE HOURS!
Additional World Cup Coverage
For additional World Cup coverage from the DraftKings Network, check out the World Cup landing page here:
- 2026 World Cup Final Best Bets: Who Will Score the First Goal in Spain vs. Argentina?
- World Cup Best Bets Today: Top Expert Betting Picks for Spain vs. Argentina on Sunday 7/19/26
- Spain vs. Argentina prediction, pick for the World Cup Final on Sunday 7/19/26
- World Cup 2026: Spain vs. Argentina Lineups, Odds
NOTE: Prop bet rulings are subject to official scoring and could change after the match.
