The biggest match in world football is almost here. New York New Jersey Stadium is set to host a blockbuster FIFA World Cup 2026 final as Spain take on Argentina in a clash between two of the game's modern powerhouses.
The showpiece encounter will see the reigning European champions face the defending world champions, who also arrive as the holders of the Copa América. It will also bring together two generations of footballing brilliance: Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, whose dazzling rise has many believing he represents the future of the sport.
The final will also mark the conclusion of the largest FIFA World Cup ever staged. Expanded to 48 teams for the first time, the tournament has featured a record-breaking 104 matches, delivering unforgettable moments over the past month.
With the footballing world counting down to this historic showdown, here's a look at some remarkable numbers and records from FIFA World Cup finals through the years.
Fastest Goal In Final
Eighty-eight seconds, that is all for Johan Neeskens of the Netherlands to score a goal soon after the kick-off of the 1974 final against West Germany.
The Netherlands started the match so well that no West Germany player could even touch the ball after the kick-off. The Dutch strung together 16 uninterrupted passes from the opening whistle before Johan Cruyff embarked on a trademark run, weaving past Berti Vogts and Uli Hoeness before being brought down inside the box. The foul resulted in the first penalty ever awarded in a World Cup final, and Neeskens calmly converted from the spot.
To this date, it is the fastest goal ever-scored in a World Cup final.
Unfortunately for the Dutch, they lost the final
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Clean Sheet
The first ever World Cup final was played in 1930 and since then, it took 60 years for a team to keep a clean sheet in the World Cup final. The team to achieve this incredible feat was West Germany when they beat Argentina 1-0 in the 1990 World Cup final.
West Germany's Bodo Illgner, who was 23 years old at the time, was one of the key reasons for the team to keep the clean sheet. He is also the youngest-ever goalkeeper to feature in a World Cup final match.
30-Match Unbeaten Streak
West Germany's dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Hungary in the 1954 FIFA World Cup final remains one of the greatest upsets in football history. The defeat ended Hungary's remarkable 30-match unbeaten run, a world record that stood for nearly four decades before Argentina eventually surpassed it.
The heavily favoured Hungarians, famously known as the "Magical Magyars", had already crushed West Germany 8-3 in the group stage and looked set for another comfortable win after racing into a 2-0 lead inside the opening eight minutes. However, Sepp Herberger's side produced a stunning fightback to score three unanswered goals and lift the trophy.
Age Gap
Twenty-two years is the biggest age gap that has ever existed between the two players of a World Cup winning team. This unique record was achieved by Italy's Giuseppe Bergomi and Dino Zoff, who were 18 and 40 respectively in the 1982 World Cup final.
Winning After Conceding First
It is almost impossible to win a World Cup final for a team that concedes first. The last team to recover a deficit and win a final was West Germany against the Netherlands 52 years ago. Although Italy did equalise in the 2006 final against France and had to take help of the penalties to win the match.
Most Goals In Finals
Four is the most number of goals scored by a player in the World Cup finals over multiple editions. This record is held by France's Kylian Mbappe. The star forward scored once in the 2018 final against Croatia and then netted three more goals four years later in the final against Argentina.
Most Appearance In Finals
Brazil's legendary Cafu is the only man to have played in three World Cup finals. He played in the finals of the 1994 1998 and 2002 World Cups. Brazil's Pele has won the World Cup the most number of times, three, but he has played in only two finals.
Scorers In Multiple Finals
Vava (1958 and 1962), Pele (1958 and 1970), Paul Breitner (1974 and 1982), Zinedine Zidane (1998 and 2006) and Kylian Mbappe (2018 and 2022) are the only men to have scored in two World Cup finals.
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