Today, July 17, is the day of the official pre-final press conferences at the 2026 World Cup: the tournament schedule in Kyiv time is approaching its climax, and both finalists — Spain and Argentina — will take the stage at the Javits Center in New York to answer questions ahead of Sunday's decisive match. This is the first time in World Cup history that a pre-final press conference has been held as part of a commercial festival with paid public admission.
Finalists' Press Conference: Open to Fans, but Ticketed
The official pre-final press conferences of both national teams will take place today, July 17, on the main stage of Fanatics Fest NYC — an event running at the Javits Center from July 16 to 19. According to FIFA, the coaches and players of Spain and Argentina will appear on stage at 17:15 local time (approximately 22:15 Kyiv time), with the event hosted by English football legend Rio Ferdinand alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Fans will be able to watch but not ask questions.
A Friday ticket costs $81.54 for an adult. FIFA cancelled the traditional pre-final press conference, which is usually held in a closed format for accredited journalists, with the event instead organised by commercial partner Fanatics. The decision has sparked debate in the media community over press access.
Spain: Record Defence and Oyarzabal in the Race for the Golden Boot
Spain flew to Newark from Dallas on Wednesday evening and is based at a hotel in Montclair, New Jersey. La Roja's statistics are impressive: across seven tournament matches, the team has conceded just one goal — an outright record for this championship. In the semi-final against France, Luis de la Fuente's coaching staff held their opponents to just 0.31 expected goals (xG), with Kylian Mbappé failing to register a single shot on target.
Mikel Oyarzabal has become Spain's all-time top scorer at World Cups: his five goals in the tournament keep him among the top three Golden Boot contenders alongside Mbappé and Lionel Messi. A more detailed schedule of the 2026 World Cup matches in Kyiv time and Spain's tournament path can be found in the article "2026 World Cup Schedule in Kyiv Time: France vs Spain".
Argentina: Messi Assists, Fernández and Martínez Decide in the Final Stages
Argentina reached the final after a dramatic 2–1 victory over England in extra time: Enzo Fernández scored in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez in the 92nd. Lionel Messi, who turns 39 on July 19, provided two assists. The reigning world champions have now won twice in the knockout rounds via extra time, raising questions about the team's physical condition ahead of the final. More on Argentina's journey can be found in the article "Argentina in the 2026 World Cup Final".
Closing Ceremony and the Tournament's Golden Ball
Alongside preparations for the final, FIFA has confirmed the closing ceremony programme at New York/New Jersey Stadium on July 19. The headliner will be Post Malone, announced on July 15. The halftime show — the first of its kind at a World Cup — was curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay. Performers include Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber. Jennifer Hudson will perform the US national anthem before the match.
This evening, the third-place match takes place at MetLife Stadium — France vs England (kick-off at 22:00 Kyiv time on Friday, July 17, which is 00:00 Kyiv time on Saturday, July 18); a detailed preview will follow. The full 2026 World Cup schedule in Kyiv time: France vs England and the Final Spain vs Argentina is available in a separate article.
Photo: via fanaticsfest.com · Editorial (source)
