Spain are the new kings of world football after Ferran Torres scored a dramatic extra-time winner to seal a 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday night.
The thrilling contest at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey appeared destined for penalties before Torres broke the deadlock in the 106th minute, firing home after a brilliant pass from fellow substitute Nico Williams to hand La Roja their second World Cup title.
The victory crowned an outstanding campaign for Luis de la Fuente’s side, who added the FIFA World Cup trophy to the UEFA Euro 2024 title they won two years ago.
Spain dominated proceedings from the opening whistle, controlling possession and creating the better opportunities throughout the encounter. Despite their relentless pressure, Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced a series of fine saves to keep the defending champions in the contest.
Spain’s persistence eventually paid off in extra time as Torres calmly slotted home the decisive goal, sending Spanish players and supporters into wild celebrations.
Argentina’s hopes of forcing a penalty shootout suffered a major setback late in normal time when midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a reckless challenge, leaving Lionel Scaloni’s men to finish the match with 10 players.
The South Americans struggled to threaten Spain’s defence for most of the game, failing to register a single shot on target across 120 minutes. Their best chance came in the closing moments of extra time when Giuliano Simeone blasted over the crossbar from a promising position.
For Lionel Messi, the defeat marked a heartbreaking end to what is widely expected to be his final FIFA World Cup appearance. The Argentine captain, who inspired his country to glory in Qatar four years ago, found little space against Spain’s disciplined backline and was unable to produce another magical moment.
Messi also missed out on claiming the tournament’s Golden Boot, with France captain Kylian Mbappe finishing as the competition’s highest goalscorer.
Insightlinks Sports Arena gathered that Spain’s triumph mirrors their historic 2010 World Cup success, when Andres Iniesta scored the winning goal in extra time against the Netherlands. This time, it was Torres who etched his name into Spanish football history with the strike that returned the World Cup to Spain after 16 years.
The victory also extended Spain’s unbeaten run under manager Luis de la Fuente in major tournament matches, further cementing the country’s return to the summit of international football.
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