The 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to a close this weekend, and for fans in the UK it means a Sunday evening in front of the television. Argentina and Spain will meet in the final on Sunday, 19 July, with kick-off set for 8pm BST.
The match will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City. It is the same venue that hosted several of the tournament’s biggest knockout matches, and it will close out the first World Cup to feature 48 teams.
Quick facts
- Match: Argentina vs Spain, FIFA World Cup 2026 final
- Date: Sunday, 19 July 2026
- Kick-off: 8pm BST
- Venue: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
What time is kick-off in the UK?
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm BST. That comes from a 3pm local start time on the US East Coast, with the five-hour time difference between the UK and New Jersey in July. Fans planning a Sunday evening around the match should have plenty of time to get settled beforehand, with pre-match build-up expected to start well before the players walk out.
Where is the final being played?
MetLife Stadium holds more than 82,000 fans and has been one of the showpiece venues of the tournament. It is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets during the American football season, and its scale made it a natural choice to host the final of the expanded 48-team World Cup.
How the day builds up
UK broadcasters typically begin their build-up coverage well ahead of kick-off for a final of this size, with studio analysis, team news and colour from the stadium filling the hours before 8pm. Given the storylines around this final, Lionel Messi chasing a second World Cup with Argentina against a Spain side built around Lamine Yamal, expect broadcasters to lean heavily into the narrative in their pre-match build-up.
Both BBC and ITV are showing the final live in the UK, continuing the arrangement the two broadcasters have shared for every
