Lionel Messi has quite a climb to catch Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot.
The Argentina superstar has won just about everything in soccer except for the award for being the leading scorer at the World Cup, and he’s now two behind Mbappé after the France striker upped his total to 10 goals in a wild third-place game.
Even if Messi can’t get there, a record-extending third Golden Ball as the tournament's best player seems well in reach after Sunday's World Cup final against Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
He’s already the only player to win the award multiple times since it was first given in 1978, and sparking Argentina's run to a second straight final at age 39 gives him a strong case for another.
“He is the history. He is the legend,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
The other awards to be presented Sunday for performances at the World Cup are the Golden Glove for the top goalkeeper, and the Best Young Player Award, given to the top player 21 years old or younger.
Spain is in good shape to win at least one if not both of those, with Unai Simón allowing only one goal in seven games and 19-year-old Lamine Yamal providing the dazzle up front and showing why he is already considered one of the most promising players in the world.
Messi is at the other end of a career in which he’s won the Ballon d’Or, given to soccer's player of the year, a record eight times.
The Golden Boot has eluded him, but he had the lead going into the final two matches of this year's tournament. Both Messi and Mbappé had eight goals through the semifinals, but Messi owned the tiebreaker with one more assist.
Mbappé then scored twice Saturday in France’s 6-4 loss to England, making him the first player with 10 goals in a World Cup since Germany great Gerd Müller had 10 in 1970.
Mbappé also won the Golden Boot four years ago in Qatar, when France lost to Argentina in the final. This time, he could join players such as Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci in 1990, Croatia's Davor Suker in 1998 and Germany’s Thomas Müller in 2010 as players whose goals in a third-place game carried them to the Golden Boot.
Should Messi beat out Mbappé in an Argentina victory, he would be the first Golden Boot winner to play for the champion since Ronaldo scored eight goals when Brazil won the title in 2002.
He may not need any goals to secure another Golden Ball.
Messi won that trophy for the first time in 2014, when Argentina was the runner-up, and again in 2022 when his seven goals in seven games powered his country to its third title.
The Golden Ball, Golden Glove and the Best Young Player Award are voted on by members of the media from a list of players compiled by the FIFA Technical Study Group.
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Referee Ivan Barton, of El Salvador, gestures to Spain's Lamine Yamal during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
France's Kylian Mbappe (10) walks off the pttch after the World Cup third-place playoff soccer match between France and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) reacts during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The World Cup final is finally here. Lionel Messi — the most prolific goal scorer in the tournament’s history — and defending champion Argentina will take on Spain’s defensive juggernaut on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Follow along for key moments, analysis and highlights.
In an interview with Fox, President Donald Trump was asked to predict a winner between Spain and Argentina. He hedged on that, but seemed enamored with Argentina star Lionel Messi.
“I would say it’s hard to bet against Messi,” Trump said, noting Messi’s assist on Argentina’s winning goal in the semifinal against England.
“The pass was exactly perfect,” Trump said. “I won’t pick sides … It’s just hard to bet against Messi.”
Entering the World Cup final against Argentina, Spain’s soccer federation has released motivational videos on social media promoting the motto “¿Y por qué no?” -- “And why not?”
The phrase refers to the answer given by defender Aymeric Laporte after a reporter asked him during the 2022 World Cup whether Spain could win the tournament.
The federation released a video with players who helped Spain win the World Cup in 2010 all saying the phrase repeatedly. Another video mentions the motto while showing people wearing Spain’s jersey around New York to the beat of the song “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she does not expect to meet with President Donald Trump during the World Cup final. But she stressed that officials have a “really great” plan to get the Republican president in and out of MetLife Stadium with as little disruption to fans as possible.
“It’s like the wedding is here after you’ve had family in town for a week,” she said about the anticipation for the game. “We’re excited, but also looking forward to some peace when they leave.”
Sherrill said she’s rooting for Argentina and even she tried her hand at Spanish, saying it’s better than it was a few months ago but that it needed more work.
“Or something like that,” the governor said in English after tripping through her Spanish.
Former Spain defender Joan Capdevila has made it to the United States to watch the World Cup final after being denied authorization to travel a decade after playing in an exhibition game in Iran.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in an email to The Associated Press that it received a request to allow Capdevila into the country. It said it reviewed the request and Capdevila arrived in the U.S. on Sunday.
Capdevila had addressed President Donald Trump in a social media post, saying his application for visa-free entry was denied. He also sent a message to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and tagged the Spanish government’s ministry of sport in his post.
In 2010, Capdevila helped Spain win its only World Cup title, starting in the final against the Netherlands. He was also part of the team that won the 2008 European Championship.
As rain fell in Buenos Aires at midday, hundreds of Argentines gathered ahead of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.
At the FIFA Fan Festival in Plaza Francisco Seeber, songs by Argentine pop groups Bandana and Miranda! played over loudspeakers. Fans waved Argentine flags, painted their faces in the nation’s blue and white colors, and lined up early to secure a spot in front of the giant screen that will broadcast the match.
“People are happy. It’s raining, but people are here together; with friends, with strangers, with foreigners,” said Franco Pavalo, 21.
Shin Truong, 20, said the final carries greater significance because it’s expected to be the last World Cup appearance for 39-year-old Lionel Messi.
“He’s mythical,” Truong said. “We couldn’t ask for anything more from him.”
Big screens have been set up across Spanish cities for the World Cup final, with 20,000 people expected at the one installed at Plaza Colon in Madrid. About 15,000 fans were expected at the Madrid Rio location.
Similar viewing areas were set up in Barcelona and other cities. Fans in Madrid will also be able to watch the match at the Movistar Arena, where some 15,000 people were expected. Tickets were sold out in advance.
Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, was at a near standstill Sunday morning.
Streets were adorned with blue-and-white flags. Cars were honking, announcing the arrival of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. Businesses were closed, as were museums, theaters and cinemas. Bars opened early.
It’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere, but fans gathered in the chilly wind and rain in parks and plazas around the city. Street vendors blew plastic horns and hawked jerseys and umbrellas with the name of superstar Lionel Messi.
Even after the Americans were eliminated in the round of 16 against Belgium, viewership has remained strong in the U.S.
The match between England and Mexico was the most-watched World Cup game not involving the U.S. broadcast in English in the country’s history, according to Fox. The network said an average of more than 21.7 million tuned in to watch England’s 3-2 victory in Mexico City on July 5.
The 2022 World Cup final — which was in Qatar — was viewed by a then-record 16.7 million.
Meteorologists say the thunderstorms that passed through the New Jersey area should clear out the smoke from Canadian wildfires that left a haze over the Northeast U.S. for several days.
While experts say there could be some lingering smoke to make things a bit hazy Sunday, it will likely be faint and not cause the poor air quality warnings issued in recent days.
Temperatures are forecast to be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), with light breezes and low humidity for the start of the final.
Players and coaches have fielded a lot of questions about the pitch in East Rutherford, New Jersey, before and after World Cup games there. Opinions have varied.
Brazil’s Vinicius Junior was not a fan. France coach Didier Deschamps called it special — and not in a good way. Norway’s Ståle Solbakken was asked several times about the surface before coaching his first game on it and came away more pleased about it than he expected.
While entirely different than the turf surface at the stadium that has been maligned by NFL players, the grass field with synthetic fibers stitched in to reduce the risk of divots and tears has drawn mixed reviews through the first seven games of the tournament there. After a nearly two-week break for staff to get it in the best condition possible, the most important game takes place there Sunday when Argentina and Spain meet in the final.
Neither team has played at the Meadowlands stadium yet, adding another element of uncertainty to the matchup.
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Lionel Messi once held baby Lamine Yamal in his arms. Now they will battle for the World Cup title
Almost two decades ago, photographer Joan Monfort didn’t think much of his photo shoot of a teenage Lionel Messi bathing a cute baby boy in a plastic bathtub. Not until the remarkable twist of fate became clear years later, when that infant blossomed into Lamine Yamal.
Now those images of the long-haired Messi, his hands covered in soap suds as if anointing Yamal as soccer’s Next Big Thing, have become the most talked about — and gawked about — in the runup to Sunday’s World Cup final, when Messi’s Argentina will play Yamal’s Spain for the biggest trophy in the sport.
“I have never been a believer or thought that anything was destined to occur, but I am beginning to have my doubts. This is beyond all reasonable explanations,” Monfort told The Associated Press from his home in Barcelona on Friday.
Monfort, who works as a freelance photojournalist for the AP, took the photos in 2007 as part of a charity calendar produced by local newspaper Sport and UNICEF.
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The tournament grew from 32 teams to 48 for the 2026 World Cup and the prize money hit record amounts as well.
FIFA says the winner of the Argentina-Spain final will receive $51 million. That’s up from the $42 million paid to Argentina for winning the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The runner-up will get $34 million.
The total prize pool for the tournament staged in the United States, Mexico and Canada is $871 million, up from $440 million in 2022.
All 48 teams were guaranteed at least $12.5 million.
The best offense. The best defense.
The World Cup final will be a clash of styles. Lionel Messi — the most prolific goal scorer in the tournament’s history — and defending champion Argentina will take on Spain’s defensive juggernaut on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Spain beat France in one semifinal on Tuesday; Argentina, the comeback king of this tournament, rallied to beat England 2-1 in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
Argentina is seeking its fourth title and is looking to become the first back-to-back World Cup champion since Brazil pulled off the feat in 1958 and 1962. Spain is looking for its second title, after winning in 2010.
Something will have to give on Sunday, when the biggest World Cup ever — a 48-team, 104-match extravaganza spread out over the U.S., Canada and Mexico — comes to an end.
It’s not Finalissima. It’s going to be better.
Spain fans gather for a rally on the eve of the World Cup final soccer match in New York's Times Square, Saturday, July 18, 2026 (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Referee Jesus Valenzuela Saez, center, of Venezuela, and his team pose with their medals after the World Cup third-place playoff soccer match between France and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Argentina fans gather for a rally on the eve of the World Cup final soccer match in New York's Times Square, Saturday, July 18, 2026 (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
