Lionel Messi is one win away from a second World Cup title, and to get there, Argentina will have to go through a country that shaped much of his own story.
Argentina face Spain in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, at New Jork New Jersey Stadium — the first time in Messi’s career that he’ll face the Spanish national team at a World Cup, with the trophy itself on the line.
The opponent carries extra weight for Messi personally. It was Barcelona that paid for the growth-hormone treatment he needed as a teenager and gave him his first-team debut, and Spain also explored the possibility of naturalizing him at one point, never realizing his heart was set on representing Argentina from a young age.
At 39 years old, in what’s widely expected to be his final World Cup appearance, Messi arrives at this final looking to cap his international career with a second star for Argentina, four years after lifting the trophy in Qatar.
Lionel Messi playing against Spain in 2009. (Getty Images)
There’s one thing Sunday’s final could finally settle for him: despite everything he’s accomplished on the biggest stage, Messi’s personal history against Spain with Argentina isn’t a good one, and he’ll have the chance to change that for good.
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Messi’s record vs Spain
During his whole career, Messi has faced Spain three times with Argentina, all in international friendlies, and the balance leans in the European’s favor:
- October 11, 2006 — Spain won 2-1 in Murcia. An 18-year-old Messi started but didn’t score, with Daniel Bilos netting Argentina’s goal against strikes from Xavi and David Villa.
- November 14, 2009 — Spain won 2-1 in Madrid. Messi scored Argentina’s only goal from the penalty spot, with Xabi Alonso scoring both goals for the hosts.
- September 7, 2010 — Argentina’s only win in the series, a 4-1 rout in Buenos Aires over the reigning world champions. Messi opened the scoring, with Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez, and Sergio Aguero also finding the net, while Fernando Llorente scored Spain’s consolation.
| Date | Result | Venue |
| October 11, 2006 | 2-1 Spain | Murcia |
| November 14, 2009 | 2-1 Spain | Madrid |
| September 7, 2010 | 4-1 Argentina | Buenos Ares |
Argentina’s full history vs Spain
Beyond Messi’s individual record, the two nations have a long and even history dating back more than seven decades. Argentina and Spain have met 14 times since their first clash in 1952, with the series deadlocked at six wins apiece and two draws.
The two sides have also crossed paths once before at a World Cup, back in 1966 in England, when Argentina came out on top 2-1. Their most recent meeting came in a 2018 friendly in Madrid, when Spain thrashed Argentina 6-1 just months before that year’s World Cup in Russia. Sunday’s final will be just the second time the two nations have met on football’s biggest stage, and the first with a title on the line.
