DistantNews
Support us
🇫🇷 France /Sports

World Cup 2026: Spain Keeps Same Lineup Against Messi's Record-Breaking Argentina in Final

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Spain will field the same starting lineup against Argentina in the World Cup final, including Fabián Ruiz.
  • Lionel Messi will set two new records in the final: becoming the oldest outfield player and the first to start three World Cup finals.
  • Argentina's coach made three changes to the lineup from the semi-final, while Spain's coach kept his semi-finalists unchanged.

Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente has opted to keep the same starting eleven that reached the World Cup final for Sunday's match against Argentina. This includes Fabián Ruiz, who will partner captain Rodri in midfield. The Spanish team's lineup remains unchanged from their semi-final victory over France.

In contrast, Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni has made three alterations to the squad that defeated England in the semi-finals. Nico Gonzalez will replace Leandro Paredes in the starting lineup. Gonzalo Montiel in defense and Rodrigo De Paul in midfield also benefit from rotation.

Lionel Messi, captain of Argentina, is set to achieve two significant records during the final. At 39 years and 25 days old, he becomes the oldest outfield player to feature in a World Cup final, surpassing the previous record held by Swedish player Gunnar Gren. Messi is also the first player to start in three World Cup finals, adding to his previous appearances in the 2014 final and his victory in the 2022 final in Qatar.

The referee for the final will be Slavko Vincic from Slovenia. The match is scheduled to take place in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog