Everything you need to know about the World Cup final as FIFA set to break laws of football

Argentina will attempt to defend their World Cup crown on Sunday when they take on 2010 champions Spain in a mouth-watering final at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Lionel Scaloni's side are just one win away from becoming the first back-to-back World Cup champions since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, after late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez against England secured their spot in the final.

European champions Spain, meanwhile, will head into the final with a huge amount of confidence following a convincing 2-0 win over France.

Surprisingly, this is only the second official match between Spain and Argentina. Back in 1966, the latter ran out 2-1 winners as Argentine centre-forward Luis Artime netted a brace.

In total, they have played 13 friendly matches against each other over the years, with the latest game taking place in 2018, when Spain smashed six goals past Argentina in a resounding 6-1 win.

This time around, one of the big talking points will be Lionel Messi coming up against Lamine Yamal for the first time.

Argentina's route to the 2026 World Cup final

Group J – Argentina 3 - 0 Algeria

Group J – Argentina 2 - 0 Austria

Group J – Jordan 1 - 3 Argentina

Round of 32 – Argentina 3 - 2 Cape Verde

Last 16 – Argentina 3 - 2 Egypt

Quarter-final – Argentina 3 - 1 Switzerland

Semi-final – England 1 - Argentina 2

Spain's route to the 2026 World Cup final

Group J – Spain 0 - 0 Cape Verde

Group J – Spain 4 - 0 Saudi Arabia

Group J – Uruguay 0 - 1 Spain

Round of 32 – Spain 3 - 0 Austria

Last 16 – Portugal 0 - 1 Spain

Quarter-final – Spain 2 - 1 Belgium

Semi-final – France 0 - 2 Spain

When does the World Cup final start?

The final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday (July 19) will be live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7pm BST, with kick-off at 8pm.

Will the half-time show be broadcast on BBC and ITV?

Yes. And for those interested, viewers can watch the full half-time show live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with expert analysis and reaction from the BBC's punditry team before and after the performance.

ITV, meanwhile, will broadcast the half-time show in full and, like the BBC, they will also provide match analysis.

Taking inspiration from the Super Bowl half-time show, which most recently featured Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga, FIFA has opted to bring the American tradition to this summer's World Cup.

Love it or hate it, the often over-the-top spectacle was always going to feature at the final in New York.

Canadian singer Justin Bieber is set to headline an 11-minute show alongside Madonna, K-Pop band BTS, Gustavo Dudamel and singer of the official World Cup song 'Dai Dai', Shakira.

FIFA set to break laws of football during half-time show

FIFA have not confirmed an exact time but The Athletic, citing multiple sources, say that the aim is for the half-time break to last 20 minutes. The Times, meanwhile, report that it will last up to 30 minutes.

As a result, FIFA are set to go against a longstanding rule in football which stipulates that half-time lasts 15 minutes.

According to the rulebook from IFAB (International Football Association Board), the break "may be altered only with the referee’s permission".

While the show is 11 minutes, extra time is needed to erect and remove the stage on the pitch where the artists will perform.