Spain were crowned world champions on Sunday after substitute Ferran Torres struck deep into extra time to hand La Roja a hard-fought 1-0 victory over 10-man Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Torres broke Argentina’s resistance in the 106th minute, finishing brilliantly after Nico Williams nodded the ball into his path, sparking wild celebrations among the Spanish players and fans.
The European champions dominated proceedings at the MetLife Stadium but found Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in inspired form, with the Aston Villa shot-stopper producing a series of outstanding saves to keep the defending champions in the contest.
The turning point came in stoppage time of normal time when Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi, reducing Lionel Scaloni’s side to 10 men.
With the numerical advantage, Spain piled on relentless pressure in extra time before Torres finally found the breakthrough that settled the tense encounter.
The victory sealed Spain’s second FIFA World Cup title and capped an impressive campaign in which Luis de la Fuente’s side conceded only one goal in seven matches while dazzling opponents with their trademark possession-based football.
Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, showed remarkable resilience throughout the tournament, surviving a dramatic knockout clash against Egypt before overturning a deficit to eliminate England in the semi-finals.
