World Cup Finals Fixtures

Say what you want about the 2026 FIFA World Cup, be it question marks over the extended format or the integrity of FIFA, but the level of entertainment has, largely, been off the charts. That's been the case since a ball was first kicked, and has remained true throughout the knockout stages.

We now know who will be competing in the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, and which nations will be facing off in the dreaded third-place playoff game the day before. Here, we look at those remaining World Cup finals fixtures.

Also, feel free to check out our dedicated Best World Cup betting tips & strategies page as we edge closer to the start of the tournament.

World Cup Finals Fixtures

The Road to the World Cup Final

Rewind to the end of the quarter-finals and the bookmakers had nailed their predictions for who would make the semi-finals, with Spain and France facing off in the first and England and Argentina locking horns in the second. The bookies favoured Spain and England to advance in those ties. Both of those predictions have proved incorrect.

Spain were a class act in their showdown with France, winning that match 2-0, and maintaining their remarkable defensive record, which has seen them concede just one goal to date. France, meanwhile, had probably been the team of the tournament up to that point but they just couldn't lay a glove on the Spanish.

England vs Argentina was a remarkable clash. The opening 45-minutes was engaging for all the wrong reasons, with little quality on offer. The second half saw England take the lead, filling their fans with huge hope, but that triggered a tactical collapse and, inevitably, Lionel Messi inspired a late turnaround.

The Third Placed Play-Off

The third-placed play-off and final will take place between Saturday 18 July and Sunday 19 July, with the details outlined below:

Saturday 18 July

• Match 103 – France vs England – Miami Stadium

The 2026 World Cup Final

Sunday 19 July

• Match 104 – Spain vs Argentina – New York New Jersey Stadium

Most memorable World Cup Finals in history

While every World Cup final is special and unique, some of them simply transcend the others in excitement and quality of football. With that in mind, we selected three of our favourite finals from the World Cup history for you:

Uruguay vs Brazil – World Cup 1950 in Brazil

The stage was set for Brazil's first World Cup win in history – the famous Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro was packed with more than 170,000 people, all eager to celebrate along with their team as they lift the trophy intended for the champions of the world. In fact, due to the structure of the World Cup that year, Brazil only needed a draw to become the champion.

However, all the spectators and Brazil players experienced was huge disappointment instead of immense joy. Brazil did take the lead early in the second half, but goals by Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia silenced Maracana and brought Uruguay their second World Cup title, the last one to date.

West Germany vs Hungary – World Cup 1954 in Switzerland

England vs West Germany – World Cup 1966 in England

The birthplace of football got the chance to host the World Cup in 1966 and the expectations for England were high ahead of the tournament as this was seen as the perfect opportunity for the team to win their first World Cup title ever. Finally, the stage was set after England reached the final, where they would meet West Germany.

Nearly 100,000 packed Wembley to witness this game and they indeed witnessed history. West Germany took an early lead, England punched back quickly and the teams were tied at half time. Then, Peters brought England close to lifting the trophy, but Weber scored an equaliser a few minutes before the end to send the game to overtime. Despite that, the English dominated the overtime and Geoffrey Hurst added two more goals to achieve a hat-trick in the game and bring England their first and still the only World Cup title.

Who are the favourites to win the World Cup?

At the time of writing, the favourite to win the World Cup is Argentina (9/2).

Argentina are the current holders of the trophy but have impressed during the Group Stage in North America, with Lionel Messi, who leads the favourites to win the Golden Boot, once again playing a starring role.

When you combine their performance levels with the way the tournament brackets have unfolded, it's hard to see where they might slip up between now and a potential semi-final showdown with England.

Who could join Argentina in the World Cup Final?

At the time of writing, France (6/1) are the second-favourites behind Spain to lift the World Cup trophy, so they would be expected to join Argentina in the final according to the bookmakers, which would be a repeat of the 2022 Final in Qatar.

Les Bleus are the number-one ranked nation in the latest FIFA World Rankings, and have long been backed to make a significant impact at the tournament. France have reached the World Cup Final on four separate occasions, with all four coming since 1998. They won that tournament in their home country, and were also victorious in 2018.

However, Les Bleus came up short in 2006, and in the most recent final in 2022, where they lost out to Argentina on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw after extra-time. Will we have another repeat of Messi vs Mbappe? It was certainly a classic last time!