The daytime edition of "Night Mundial" leads with the top story that the morning digest didn't have time to cover: Argentina have reached the 2026 World Cup final, defeating England in a dramatic comeback. The 2026 World Cup match schedule in Kyiv time is below.
Argentina – England 2–1: two goals in the closing stages
In the second semi-final, which ended after 08:00 Kyiv time, Argentina defeated England 2–1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The English led until the 85th minute thanks to Anthony Gordon's goal, but Enzo Fernández equalised with a strike from 20 yards, and in the second minute of stoppage time Lautaro Martínez headed home a cut-back pass from Messi — 2–1. Thus, the England – Argentina match, which kicked off at 03:00 Kyiv time, delivered its result by morning.
Messi didn't score but provided assists in both attacking moves. Head coach Lionel Scaloni said after the game: "These players never stop amazing me. What they show is incredible." Messi himself added: "We have been the best for the last four years, whether they like it or not."
Argentina became the first team at a single World Cup to score a winning goal in second-half stoppage time twice. For the Albiceleste, this is their seventh World Cup final in history.
The final: Spain – Argentina — a first of its kind
The 2026 World Cup final will take place on 19 July at 22:00 Kyiv time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Spain beat France 2–0 in the first semi-final (14 July): goals from Mikel Oyarzabal from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute and Pedro Porro in the 58th. More on that match in the article "2026 World Cup match schedule in Kyiv time: France – Spain".
This final will be the first in history to feature the reigning European and South American champions. It will also be the first time since the FIFA rankings were introduced in 1992 that the top two ranked teams have met in a final. Spain are chasing their second title since 2010, while Argentina aim to become only the third country after Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962) to win the World Cup in back-to-back editions.
Third-place match: France – England
The bronze-medal match will take place on 19 July at 00:00 Kyiv time (18 July, 17:00 ET) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Kylian Mbappé, following the defeat to Spain, publicly questioned coach Didier Deschamps' tactical decisions — already a separate story for the French press. Mbappé and Messi are currently tied at the top of the Golden Boot race.
2026 World Cup match schedule in Kyiv time: final weekend
- Saturday, 18 July, 00:00 Kyiv time — France – England, 3rd-place match, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
- Sunday, 19 July, 22:00 Kyiv time — Spain – Argentina, final, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Reminder: all 104 matches of the tournament are covered in our consolidated 2026 World Cup match schedule in Kyiv time. To convert US Eastern Time (ET) to Kyiv time, add 7 hours (UTC+3 vs UTC−4).
There are no matches tonight — the tournament enters a rest day before the final weekend. A detailed final preview will be published in the preview section at 18:45.
Photo: NBC News · Editorial (source)
