Spain have become world champions for the second time in their history, with Luis de la Fuente’s men beating Argentina 1-0 in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 final in New York New Jersey, United States of America.
Although Spain dominated the game from start to finish, they had to wait until the 106th minute to finally find a way past Emiliano Martinez.
The Argentina goalkeeper made a series of saves to thwart La Roja but had no chance when Nico Williams nodded down a Pedro Porro cross at the far post and Ferran Torres buried a first-time shot into the roof of the net.
Defending champions Argentina had lost Enzo Fernandez to a second yellow card at the end of normal time, yet they battled to the end.
However, Spain, as when winning the 2010 final, found the answer in extra time.
This was a head-to-head worthy of the World Cup final, bringing together the champions of Europe and South America, the top two sides in FIFA’s world ranking, each of them unbeaten on the road to the final.
What followed was a first half controlled by Spain, who produced the first notable attempt through Lamine Yamal after five minutes.
Dani Olmo worked the ball to the teenager in space on the right side of the box and he shot low but Martinez got down to block at the near post.
If Spain were in control, it was a cagey stuff with La Roja struggling to find gaps in a deep, determined Argentina defence.
With half-time approaching, openings did appear with Mikel Oyarzabal driving a shot at Martinez and Marc Cucurella dragging an effort wide.
For Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, the challenge increased with injuries to both of his starting centre-backs as the final progressed, with Lisandro Martinez making way for Nicolas Otamendi just before the break and Facundo Medina replacing Cristian Romero after 70 minutes.
By that point, Spain were still the side asking all the questions.
Yamal created an excellent opportunity for Torres after 67 minutes but he headed too close to Martinez.
Pau Cubarsi and substitutes Pedri and WIlliams all drew saves from the Argentina custodian as the pressure continued, culminating in the goalkeeper’s flying save from Yamal’s free-kick at the very end of normal time.
Argentina had hit 19 goals on their way to the final yet Spain’s control was such that La Albiceleste did not manage a single attempt until extra time.
Their task became even greater when Fernandez was sent off following a challenge on Cubarsi three minutes into second-half added time.
Extra time brought more of the same.
Martinez kept out a Williams header and Merino put another wide.
Both Williams and Torres had goals disallowed.
In between, though, Torres produced the defining moment to put Spain back on top of the world.
Key Stats
Spain’s total of one goal conceded is the lowest for a World Cup-winning team in a single edition of the tournament.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon has set a record for most clean sheets in a World Cup tournament with seven.
Spain’s Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, both 19, are the fourth and fifth teenagers to have played in a World Cup final. As with Pele (aged 17 in 1958), Giuseppe Bergomi (18 in 1982) and Kylian Mbappe (19 in 2018), they have all ended up on the winning side.
At 65 years and 28 days old, Luis de la Fuente has become the oldest World Cup-winning coach, surpassing the mark of his compatriot Vicente del Bosque who was 59 years and 220 days when winning Spain’s first world title.
Spain are the first team to be reigning champions of both the men’s and women’s World Cups at the same time, having won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
At 39 years and 25 days old, Lionel Messi became the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup final, breaking the record of Sweden’s Gunnar Gren, who faced Brazil in 1958 aged 37 years and 241 days.
Substitute Nicolas Otamendi beat Gren’s record too to become the second-oldest outfield player (38 years, 157 days).
Messi is also now the second player to have appeared in three World Cup finals, doing so in 2014, 2022 and 2026, after Brazil’s Cafu, who played in the 1994, 1998, 2002 deciders.
La Roja are undefeated in regular time in their last 38 matches (W29 D9), having not lost since March 22, 2024 when they succumbed 1-0 to Colombia in a friendly in London. This is their longest-ever unbeaten sequence and has beaten Italy’s record for a European nation of 37, set between October 2018 and September 2021; it was Spain who ended that run by triumphing 2-1 in a UEFA Nations League encounter on October 6, 2021.
Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match
Ferran Torres (Spain)
