Spain has won the 2026 World Cup after defeating Argentina 1-0 in a dramatic final. Forward Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the match in the 106th minute, giving Spain their second World Cup title in history.
The winning moment came in the second period of extra time. Pedro Porro sent a high cross into the penalty area, Nico Williams passed it with his head, and Torres quickly kicked the ball past the Argentinian goalkeeper, Emi Martinez. It was Torres's first and only goal of the tournament. After the match, Torres said he did not think too much before shooting, but just kicked the ball with the support of the Spanish people.
Spain controlled most of the game, taking 20 shots, while Argentina struggled to keep the ball. Argentina's situation became even harder late in normal time when midfielder Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card for a late challenge. This forced Argentina to play the rest of the game with only 10 players. Although goalkeeper Martinez made 11 saves, Argentina could not stop Spain's attack.
With this victory, Spain became the first team to win the World Cup while conceding only one goal during the entire tournament. Additionally, Spain's 65-year-old coach, Luis de la Fuente, became the oldest coach ever to win a World Cup.
Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi, now 39, had a quiet game. Although he finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists, he could not lead his team to another victory. After the final whistle, Argentina's players sat on the grass in disappointment, while the Spanish players celebrated their historic win. Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, admitted that Spain was the better team but praised his players for their hard work.