By Kunle Solaja, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey

Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez etched his name into FIFA World Cup history on Sunday after becoming only the sixth player ever to be sent off in a World Cup final.

Fernandez was shown a straight red card in the third minute of added time during Argentina’s final against Spain after a reckless challenge on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí. The dismissal came after the Argentine had earlier been booked for simulation, capping a frustrating evening for the midfielder.

His red card also means Argentina have now produced two players who have been sent off in World Cup finals, more than any other nation.

Sports Village Square recalls that the first-ever red card in a FIFA World Cup final was issued to Argentina’s Pedro Monzón during the 1990 final against West Germany at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Monzón was dismissed as Argentina went on to lose 1-0. In the same match, teammate Gustavo Dezotti was also sent off, making it the only World Cup final to feature two expulsions from the same team.

Fernandez now joins an exclusive and unwanted list of players dismissed in football’s biggest match.

The players sent off in FIFA World Cup finals are:

• Pedro Monzón (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
• Gustavo Dezotti (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
• Marcel Desailly (France) vs Brazil, 1998
• Zinedine Zidane (France) vs Italy, 2006
• John Heitinga (Netherlands) vs Spain, 2010
• Enzo Fernandez (Argentina) vs Spain, 2026

History has rarely been kind to teams reduced to 10 men in the World Cup final. Except France in 1998, when Marcel Desailly was dismissed late in a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Brazil, every team that has had a player sent off in the final has ended up on the losing side.

Fernandez’s dismissal therefore added another chapter to one of the tournament’s most exclusive and unfortunate records, reinforcing the trend that a red card in the World Cup final has almost always been accompanied by defeat.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is poised to produce another chapter of football history, with several remarkable milestones on the line when the reigning European champions face the reigning South American and world champions.

For the first time since the FIFA World Cup was inaugurated in 1930, the final will feature the holders of the UEFA European Championship against the reigning CONMEBOL Copa América champions.

The clash also renews one of the tournament’s most enduring continental rivalries. South American nations have enjoyed the upper hand in World Cup finals against European opposition, winning eight of the previous 11 title deciders contested between CONMEBOL and UEFA representatives.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has a chance to make coaching history. At 65 years and 28 days on the day of the final, he would become the oldest manager ever to lift the FIFA World Cup, eclipsing the record held by fellow Spaniard Vicente del Bosque, who was 59 years and 200 days old when he guided Spain to their maiden world title at South Africa 2010.

Another historic storyline centres on Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who is seeking to lead the Albiceleste to a successful defence of the trophy they won in Qatar four years ago.

Interestingly, Messi has already enjoyed success against Spain at senior international level. The Argentine icon has scored twice in friendly internationals against La Roja—first in a 2-1 defeat in Madrid in November 2009 and again in Argentina’s emphatic 4-1 victory in Buenos Aires in September 2010.

As two continental champions prepare to battle for football’s greatest prize, the 2026 final promises not only to crown a world champion but also to add several new entries to the FIFA World Cup record books.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

England ended a 60-year wait for a FIFA World Cup podium finish in spectacular fashion on Saturday, defeating France 6-4 in one of the highest-scoring matches in the tournament’s history to secure third place.

The 10-goal thriller was the highest-scoring World Cup match since Hungary’s 10-1 demolition of El Salvador at Spain 1982 and the highest-scoring third-place playoff since France defeated West Germany 6-3 at the 1958 World Cup.

Bukayo Saka stole the show with a brilliant hat-trick, while Jude Bellingham capped another outstanding tournament by scoring his seventh goal to become England’s highest-scoring player in a single World Cup campaign.

The result also earned England their first World Cup podium finish since winning the 1966 tournament on home soil.

England blitzed France with four first-half goals, exposing a shaky French defence from the opening whistle. Declan Rice opened the scoring before defender Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage. Saka then struck twice before halftime as England raced into a commanding lead.

France, however, refused to surrender.

Captain Kylian Mbappe pulled one back before Bradley Barcola added another after the break to revive French hopes. Mbappe struck again later in the contest, taking his tally to an astonishing 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup and strengthening his grip on the Golden Boot race.

The brace also saw the French captain move to 22 career World Cup goals, lifting him one clear of Argentina captain Lionel Messi on the competition’s all-time scoring list ahead of Sunday’s final against Spain.

France’s second-half revival came after coach Didier Deschamps reshuffled his struggling defence, introducing Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Digne in an attempt to steady a backline that had looked disorganised throughout the opening period.

England, however, always had another response.

Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute to restore England’s cushion before Ousmane Dembele scored France’s fourth deep into stoppage time.

There was still time for Bellingham to have the final word, firing home England’s sixth goal to seal an unforgettable victory and write his name into the nation’s football history books with seven goals in a single World Cup.

France winger Michael Olise also etched his name into tournament folklore by registering his seventh assist of the competition, surpassing Pelé’s long-standing World Cup record of six assists set during Brazil’s triumphant 1970 campaign.

Despite the defeat, Mbappe’s remarkable tournament leaves him firmly in pole position for the Golden Boot, holding a two-goal advantage over Messi heading into Sunday’s World Cup final.

The match also marked the end of an era for France as Didier Deschamps took charge of Les Bleus for the final time. The 57-year-old bows out after 14 years at the helm and 185 matches, having guided France to World Cup glory in 2018, another final appearance in 2022, and another podium finish in 2026.

For England, the emphatic victory provided a fitting conclusion to an impressive campaign, with Thomas Tuchel’s side leaving the tournament with their best World Cup finish in six decades and a new generation led by Saka and Bellingham firmly established among the world’s elite.

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