FIFA World Cup 2026 LIVE updates: Lionel Messi’s Argentina meet Spain in final

It’s all happening early. Yamal gets the ball on the right edge of the box, immediately drawing three defenders, which frees up space for a crisp one-two with Olmo and a shot from Yamal that Martinez smothers. That was a little lucky for Argentina.

Messi, who is generally walking at this stage of the game, takes the goal kick and races away on a counter-attack before being shut down two-thirds up the field by none other than Simon, who has run miles off his line. Then he plays the ball to Alvarez and is lucky the latter does not keep it and do something naughty.

Spain 0-0 Argentina, six minutes

Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic blows the game’s first foul against Porro, as Argentina keep the ball through the opening exchanges. This will be very much a case of not falling behind for Argentina. Despite comeback after comeback to get to this point, Spain I suspect will not allow such a thing should they score first.

Spain 0-0 Argentina, three minutes

Argentina get the ball rolling. They are back in their regular blue and white, after beating England in deep blue.

Spain 0-0 Argentina, one minute

Just the first of a few today, I’d imagine. Let’s not even talk about the 30-minute half-time break. Anyway, it’s close. Scaloni and de la Fuente are settled into their respective dugouts and the players are on the field, waiting for this pre-match extravaganza to end so they can play some football.

It’s a sea of red inside the Spanish Club in Melbourne. About 200 La Roja fans pack the events space where organisers have set up a giant screen to watch the game. Tickets sold out shortly after going for sale, leaving some fans scrambling to find a venue a couple of days out from the final.

In true Spanish fashion, staff are pumping out hot chocolates, coffees and tortilla bocadillos for the fans.

Olvido Simón and her friend Chelo Fernández are ready for action. The pair have a front row seat at the front of the venue.

This means two things: Tom Cruise has finally stopped talking, and kick-off is a mere few minutes away.

Messi has his eyes half closed, not in a sleepy way but in a way that says he wants to one-up Mbappe’s goal-scoring feats of yesterday.

I already mentioned Spain are unbeaten in 37 games, but don’t forget that Argentina have won 14 straight and 31 of their last 37.

Another stat for you history buffs: the age gap between Messi (39) and his bath boy Yamal (19) is the biggest between starters of a World Cup final.

Tom Cruise, dressed like a backstage roadie, took to the centre of the pitch to deliver a stirring speech like he was the Gandalf of futbol.

“Football is a language spoken without words, a force that unites people, that turns strangers to friends,” he said, before announcing today’s teams – “Espana y Argentina” – with all the cultural respect of an SBS commentator.

Look, it wasn’t as exciting as his flying entry into the Olympics closing ceremony, but it’ll do. Today isn’t about you, Tom Cruise, I’m glad you understand.

Trump copped a few boos and jeers when he briefly flashed up on the big screen, sitting with Gianni Infantino, right after the US national anthem.

But they were quickly drowned out by an Argentinian chant, at least where I’m standing.

Luis de la Fuente told the story of his first encounter with Messi in his pre-match press conference, laughing as he went.

“I’m going to tell you something funny about Messi,” de la Fuente said. “Look, I met Lionel Messi when I was coaching at Sevilla in division de honour [the national under-19 league] and we played a Copa del Rey game against Barcelona. We went to Barcelona.

“They had spoken very well about a boy called Messi. So, we put a man-marker on him. In the 70th minute it was 0-0. When they gave a yellow card to the player who was marking him, I took him off. And in 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals.

“Does that mean we are going to man mark him? No. Does it mean we will pay close attention to him? Yes, but in exactly the same way that they are going to have to pay attention to our players.”

In a pre-game interview with Fox, Donald Trump said he was trying not to get involved in picking winners, but it was difficult to bet against Lionel Messi.

“I watched that pass, I guess you’d call it a pass, it was exactly perfect,” Trump said.

“The way he got away from the defender - he was very well defended, all of a sudden he’s standing by himself.