Spain are world champions once again. Luis de la Fuente’s side beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
DON'T MISS
A Final FIFA World Cup Settled Deep Into Extra Time
Spain dominated large stretches, but Emiliano Martínez stood firm, finishing with 12 saves. Regulation time ended goalless, and the contest tilted further in Spain’s favour. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time for a challenge on Pau Cubarsí.
Torres Delivers the Decisive Blow
The breakthrough came in the second period of extra time. Ferran Torres, who had come on as a substitute, pounced on a loose ball inside the box off a pass. They followed substitute Nico Williams and finished low into the net past Martínez in the 106th minute. It was Torres’s first goal of the tournament and proved to be the only one the final needed.
Spain nearly doubled the lead soon after when Torres appeared to score again on a counterattack, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Argentina pushed for a late equaliser and forced a couple of half-chances in the closing minutes. They could not find a way past a well-organised Spanish defence.
A Second Title, and a Historic Double
The win in the 2026 FIFA World Cup gives Spain their second World Cup crown after the 2010 triumph. The team completes a continental-and-world double following their UEFA Euro 2024 success. For Argentina, the defeat ends their bid to become the first side since Brazil in 1962. It is a bitter final chapter to Messi’s last World Cup campaign.
Scenes of celebration broke out among Spanish players and members of the victorious 2010 squad watching from the stands. Spain’s possession the sport’s biggest prize on American soil for the first time since 1994.
