New Jersey, United States- Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 to lift the second FIFA World Cup in their history at the Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Ferran Torres scored a dramatic winner in the second period of extra time, in the 106th minute, after a match in which Luis de la Fuente's side were clearly the better team and deserved to have settled the contest within the regulation 90 minutes. Argentina struggled throughout, failed to register a shot on target and played the entirety of extra time with ten men following Enzo Fernández's dismissal.
It is remarkable that at a World Cup where every global superstar has performed at the very highest level, it was Spain's collective strength that ultimately prevailed. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham all produced performances that will live long in the memory. Yet players such as Unai Simón, Pau Cubarsí, Rodri, Marc Cucurella, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal may not enjoy the same worldwide profile, but throughout the tournament they consistently delivered performances of the highest quality, placing their individual talent entirely at the service of the team.
The final statistics reflected that superiority: Spain finished the tournament as the highest-scoring side—by some distance the most entertaining team to watch—and boasted the best defensive record, conceding just once.
Spain looked to impose themselves from the opening whistle, immediately testing Emiliano Martínez's goal. Lamine Yamal was the first to threaten, weaving into the penalty area before Argentina's defence scrambled clear. Lionel Scaloni's side sat deep in a compact defensive block, content to absorb pressure and wait for opportunities on the counter-attack. Julián Álvarez fashioned one early opening, but Unai Simón—outstanding throughout the tournament—once again came to Spain's rescue.
Spain's midfield continually sought out Lamine Yamal during the first half, convinced that the Barcelona youngster possessed the creativity required to unlock Argentina's stubborn defence. The winger from Mataró misplaced the occasional pass but never stopped demanding the ball, gradually forcing Argentina deeper and deeper. Oyarzabal also went close with a low effort from the edge of the area, only for Martínez to produce another excellent save. Cucurella fired narrowly wide before the interval, while Nicolás Otamendi replaced the injured Lisandro Martínez.
Following a longer-than-usual half-time break due to the musical entertainment, the pattern of the match remained unchanged. Spain resumed their relentless pressure on the Argentine goal. Álex Baena's effort was comfortably gathered by Martínez, while Otamendi and Leandro Paredes made crucial interventions to deny two flowing Spanish attacks.
De la Fuente then turned to his bench, introducing Ferran Torres, whose pace and direct running immediately gave Spain fresh impetus and greater attacking depth. One dangerous cross from Torres, after a fine move involving Lamine Yamal, forced Martínez into yet another important save.
The arrival of Pedri proved equally influential. Spain gained even greater control of possession, moved the ball more fluently between the lines and began creating more opportunities from the edge of the penalty area. Their dominance after the break was overwhelming. As he had done against Belgium, Pau Cubarsí tried his luck from distance, only for Aston Villa goalkeeper Martínez to preserve Argentina once more. He also produced an excellent save to deny Aymeric Laporte's powerful header.
Deep into stoppage time, Nico Williams struck straight at Martínez, who parried the effort away. Moments later came the turning point. Enzo Fernández crashed into Pau Cubarsí and was shown a second yellow card, reducing Argentina to ten men. The Chelsea midfielder's dismissal tipped the balance decisively in Spain's favour and left Argentina clinging on. Lamine Yamal almost snatched victory before extra time, but Martínez once again produced a superb save.
Extra time became a siege of the Argentine penalty area. Spain attacked relentlessly, while Argentina defended desperately in the hope of surviving until a penalty shoot-out. Martínez continued his outstanding display by saving another Nico Williams header. Williams thought he had broken the deadlock, only for the referee to disallow the goal after penalising Mikel Merino for a foul on Otamendi inside the box. Merino himself came within inches of scoring moments later, his header drifting agonisingly wide.
Then, in the 106th minute, the breakthrough finally arrived. Pedro Porro delivered a cross towards the far post, Nico Williams won the aerial duel and headed the ball back across goal, allowing Ferran Torres to arrive perfectly and fire a left-footed finish beyond Martínez. It was arguably the most important goal in Spanish football history alongside Andrés Iniesta's famous winner in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa. Torres had a second goal ruled out for a marginal offside, while Argentina mounted one final push in the closing moments of extra time. It was not enough to trouble a Spanish side that, throughout the tournament, proved every bit as dependable without the ball as they were with it.
The 2026 World Cup ends with Spain crowned world champions for the second time. Their triumph confirms the arrival of a golden generation, completing a remarkable international double after winning UEFA Euro 2024, and reinforces Spanish football's status as the outstanding footballing school of the 21st century.
Photos by: Ayman Aref and Walid Ibrahim
