How to watch the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup today

The championship match of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup arrives this weekend, with Spain and Argentina set to battle for the trophy on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The showdown caps a tournament that has already produced well over 100 games since the group stage kicked off last month.

Fans looking to tune in can catch the opening whistle at 3 p.m. Eastern time, with coverage split between FOX and the Spanish-language network Telemundo. Both broadcasters are expected to offer streaming access alongside their traditional television feeds, giving viewers multiple ways to follow the action live.

This year's edition is the first World Cup staged jointly across three nations — the United States, Mexico and Canada — and features an expanded 48-team field, the largest in the event's history. The competition formally opened on June 11, when co-host Mexico squared off against South Africa in front of a home crowd in Mexico City, setting the tone for a tournament built around packed stadiums and shared hosting duties.

The American side entered the fray a day later, opening its campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay. That result gave the U.S. an early foothold in the tournament, though the national team's run ultimately ended before the final rounds, leaving Sunday's title match to be contested by two other soccer powerhouses.

Getting to this point required weeks of elimination play that whittled the field down to a final four: Argentina, Spain, France and England. Argentina and Spain each won their respective semifinal matchups, knocking out England and France along the way and setting up a title clash between two of the sport's most storied programs.

For Argentina, a win would extend the country's recent run of success on the international stage, while Spain enters the match looking to add another major trophy to a roster stacked with talent from Europe's top domestic leagues. Analysts have noted the contrast in styles between the two sides, with Argentina's counterattacking approach expected to test Spain's traditionally possession-heavy game plan.

Beyond the sport itself, the final carries significant weight for the host region. MetLife Stadium, already a fixture for major American sporting events, has spent years preparing for this moment, and local officials have pointed to the game as a major economic and tourism draw for the New York-New Jersey area. Security planning and transportation logistics around the venue have also been a focus in the run-up to kickoff, given the scale of the crowds expected to descend on the stadium and surrounding communities.

With the trophy on the line, Sunday's match marks the culmination of more than five weeks of competition spanning three countries. Whichever team lifts the cup, organizers and broadcasters alike are framing the final as a capstone moment for a World Cup that leaned heavily on record attendance and an unprecedented multinational hosting arrangement.

Source: CBS World