World Cup 2026 Final Preview: Argentina Meets France in a Rematch for the Ages

East Rutherford, N.J. — The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final will be a rematch of Qatar 2022, but almost nothing else about it is the same. Argentina arrives as defending champions with a rebuilt midfield around Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister, while France leans on the ruthless efficiency of Kylian Mbappé and a new generation led by Warren Zaïre-Emery.

Argentina's route has been unforgiving. A dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in the quarterfinals — a match still generating debate over VAR decisions — was followed by a controlled 2-0 win against Brazil. Lionel Scaloni has favored a compact 4-4-2 out of possession that morphs into a 3-2-5 with Nicolás Tagliafico pushing high.

France, under Didier Deschamps in what he has confirmed is his final tournament, has scored 17 goals across the knockout rounds. Mbappé already has six for the tournament and is one strike behind Gerd Müller's single-edition record. The absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni to suspension is the only cloud over Les Bleus' preparations.

Tactically, the duel between Argentina's high press and France's counter-attacking pace could decide the match. Set pieces will also matter: Argentina has scored on 32 percent of theirs, the highest ratio at the tournament, while France remains vulnerable on inswinging deliveries.

Beyond the football, Sunday's final will close the first-ever tournament co-hosted by three nations. FIFA estimates a global audience above 2 billion viewers. For Messi, at 39, this is almost certainly a farewell. For Mbappé, at 27, it may be the first step toward defining an era of his own.