Spain are the new 2026 FIFA World Cup champions after edging Argentina 1-0 in a dramatic final decided in extra time.
The championship match remained deadlocked at 0-0 throughout the 90 minutes of regulation before Ferran Torres broke the stalemate in the 106th minute. The Spanish forward capitalized on a loose ball inside the penalty area and fired a left-footed effort beneath the crossbar, sealing a memorable victory for La Roja.
The triumph gives Spain its second FIFA World Cup title and its first since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010.
Argentina’s hopes suffered a major setback deep into second-half stoppage time when midfielder Enzo Fernández was shown a second yellow card and sent off. His dismissal, following a reckless challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsí, forced the defending champions to play the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
Shortly after the red card, Spain nearly found the breakthrough from a free kick after another Argentine foul. Lamine Yamal stepped up from around 22 yards, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez produced a remarkable save, diving to push the curling effort away from goal. It was his 10th save of the match, the highest total ever recorded by a goalkeeper in a FIFA World Cup final.
Spain dominated the contest from start to finish, controlling possession and creating the overwhelming majority of scoring opportunities. Despite constant pressure, Argentina, inspired by Lionel Messi and Martínez, managed to keep the score level through regulation time.
However, Spain’s persistence finally paid off in extra time when Torres struck the decisive goal that delivered the World Cup trophy.
The statistics reflected Spain’s superiority. The European champions registered 15 shots during regulation compared to none from Argentina, while also earning nine corner kicks against Argentina’s single corner.
With the victory, Spain became the first nation to simultaneously hold both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup titles.
The final marked the conclusion of the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament featured a record 104 matches and produced 308 goals, making it the highest-scoring edition of the competition to date.
