Spain ended Argentina’s World Cup reign the hard way, grinding out a 1-0 extra-time win at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to lift the 2026 trophy. Substitute Ferran Torres supplied the only goal of the night in the 106th minute, and Argentina finished a man down after Enzo Fernández was sent off deep into stoppage time. The result wrapped up a sprawling 48-team tournament played across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Torres struck after a scramble in the box, reacting first to a bouncing ball and drilling a left-footed finish early in the second period of extra time, according to the AP. It was his first goal of the tournament and it finally rewarded long stretches of Spanish pressure and a series of near misses. Lionel Messi, who had indicated this could be his last World Cup, walked off still chasing one more storybook ending that never arrived.
Stats and control
On the numbers, Spain were in charge from start to finish. They recorded 15 shots in regulation while Argentina did not manage a single effort, and they piled up nine corners to Argentina’s one, according to the official match statistics. Across the full competition, the 2026 edition reached 104 matches and 308 goals, making it the biggest World Cup ever, staged jointly by the three host nations, as noted by FIFA.
Martínez kept Argentina alive
For long stretches, Argentina survived on the heroics of goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. He delivered a series of crucial stops and finished with 10 saves, the most ever recorded in a World Cup final, a mark highlighted by the AP. One of his best interventions came late in extra time, when he flung himself across goal to push away a curling free kick from Lamine Yamal, keeping Argentina in contention until Torres finally broke through.
Red card turns the tide
Argentina’s task grew even tougher in stoppage time. Enzo Fernández picked up a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Spain’s Pau Cubarsí and was sent off, leaving Argentina to contest the extra 30 minutes with only 10 players, as reported by Denver7. That dismissal reshaped the closing stages and opened the door for the decisive strike from Spain’s bench.
What it means
The victory delivers Spain a second men’s World Cup title, their first since 2010, and completes a historic double. Spain now stand as the only nation to hold both the men’s and women’s world crowns at the same time, according to FIFA. The trophy ceremony closed out the 104th and final match of a tournament stretched across the three North American hosts.
Reaction and analysis will keep rolling in, but for the moment Spain’s players and supporters can soak in a late, hard-earned triumph, while Argentina are left to sift through a narrow and painful defeat at the end of a long title defense.
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