Excitement is building up in Cape Town with soccer fans split between defending champions Argentina and 1-time champions, Spain.
Operations Director at McDonald’s Western & Eastern Cape, Faiek Opperman, says he will be supporting Spain tonight.
“Very young Lamine Yamal, 19 years old, very influential. I would love to see a different final today. I mean the Argentina team are very good. Obviously, Messi a fantastic player, but definitely looking forward to Lamine Yamal tonight.”
FIFA World Cup | All eyes will be on Argentina and Spain as they clash in the final tonight at 9pm. pic.twitter.com/QLIY8Bgpuf
— SABC News (@SABCNews) July 19, 2026
Spain last won FIFA World Cup in 2010 after defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in Extra Time in the final, with Andres Iniesta scoring the winning goal.
The match was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
FIFA World Cup | Argentina vs Spain predictions:
Argentina come to this match as the defending champions, after they won FIFA World Cup in 2022, defeating France 4-2 on penalties.
The match was held at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
Argentina is hoping to join Italy and Brazil in defending their World Cup title. Italy defended the title in 1938 after winning it in 1934 and Brazil won the FIFA World Cup back to back in 1958 and in 1962.
The match is set to kick off at 21:00 SAST on Sunday.
VIDEO | FIFA World Cup | Countdown to final match between Argentina and Spain
After nearly six weeks of heroics and heartache, thrills and spills, heat, rain and rowing, New York New Jersey stadium was preparing on Sunday to host the crowning event of the World Cup tournament — the final between coolly confident Spain, aiming for their second world title, and fiery Argentina, defending their crown in what they hope will be the bow on the gift of Lionel Messi’s glittering career.
Fears over air quality evaporated along with the thick layer of smoke that had blanketed the region for days, the result of wildfires in Canada. The heat of recent weeks was also tempered, and clear skies and a beautiful day greeted crowds at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s expected attendance at the match added extra layers of security to the world’s biggest sporting event. Hundreds of journalists, entertainers, and volunteers waited in snarling lines for up to three hours, with wand-waving Secret Service agents screening entrants. For fans, the entrance lines were quicker but they faced long queues once inside for food and merchandise.
Dressed in the traditional blue and white colours of Argentina or red and yellow of Spain, the supporters were trickling into the stadium hours before the 3 p.m. ET (1900 GMT) kickoff, with a pre-match “closing ceremony” featuring Post Malone and Tom Cruise set to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET (1730 GMT). – additional reporting by Reuters
