Spain are world champions for the second time in their history.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Luis de la Fuente's side defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York–New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford.
The decisive moment came in the 106th minute when substitute Ferran Torres struck the only goal of the match. Nico Williams brilliantly kept a long pass in play with a header before setting up Torres, who fired a left-footed finish into the roof of the net.
Spain take complete control
Spain dictated the game from the opening whistle. Lamine Yamal forced Emiliano Martinez into an early save, while La Roja dominated possession, pressed aggressively after losing the ball and prevented Argentina from building attacks.
Lionel Messi was largely isolated throughout the match, and Julian Alvarez received almost no service up front. Argentina failed to register a single shot in the first half and finished the entire 120 minutes without an effort on target.
Martinez keeps Argentina alive
Despite Spain's dominance, Argentina remained in the contest thanks to Emiliano Martinez. The goalkeeper produced several key saves as Spain repeatedly threatened from wide areas and controlled the tempo.
De la Fuente eventually reshaped the attack with substitutions. Ferran Torres and Pedri entered just after the hour mark, while Nico Williams and Mikel Merino added fresh energy later in the game. The changes proved decisive.
Lionel Scaloni, meanwhile, focused on protecting his goal. Nicolas Otamendi replaced the injured Lisandro Martinez before halftime, while Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina, Rodrigo De Paul and Cristian Romero were introduced after the break.
Red card changes everything
The turning point arrived deep into stoppage time. Enzo Fernandez collected his second yellow card after fouling Pau Cubarsi, leaving Argentina with 10 players before extra time.
Spain immediately increased the pressure. Nico Williams found the net, but the goal was ruled out after VAR detected a foul by Merino on Otamendi earlier in the move.
Argentina survived until the second period of extra time, but their resistance finally collapsed. Torres arrived at the perfect moment to score his first goal of the tournament and deliver the World Cup to Spain.
Champions in every sense
The statistics reflected Spain's superiority. De la Fuente's side finished with 20 shots compared to Argentina's two, while the South Americans failed to hit the target once. Spain also produced 1.94 expected goals against Argentina's 0.20.
Messi, appearing in the third World Cup final of his career, was unable to produce another magical moment. After the final whistle, the Argentine captain collected his silver medal before greeting his supporters and embracing Lamine Yamal.
Spain lifted the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and prevented Argentina from defending the title. The champions conceded just one goal in eight matches, setting a new record for the fewest goals allowed by a World Cup-winning team, while extending their unbeaten streak to 38 matches.
At 65, Luis de la Fuente also became the oldest coach to win the FIFA World Cup, adding football's biggest prize to the UEFA Euro 2024 title.
