Spain have been crowned champions of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Lionel Messi’s Argentina 1-0 in a tense final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.
Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute, breaking Argentina’s resistance during the second half of extra time after both teams failed to find the net in regulation time.
The victory secured Spain’s second World Cup title and ended Argentina’s attempt to retain the trophy they won in Qatar four years earlier.
Spain controlled large periods of the contest but struggled to convert their superiority into goals as Argentina adopted a compact defensive approach.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez produced several important saves to keep the defending champions in the match, while Argentina’s attacking players found it difficult to trouble the Spanish defence.
Messi, potentially making his final World Cup appearance at the age of 39, was unable to inspire another historic triumph as Spain restricted Argentina’s opportunities throughout the encounter.
The breakthrough eventually arrived when Spain’s substitutes combined in extra time. Nico Williams helped keep an attacking move alive before Torres applied the decisive finish to put La Roja ahead.
Argentina’s hopes of responding suffered another setback when Enzo Fernández was dismissed as the contest became increasingly physical.
Spain protected their narrow advantage during the closing stages to complete a remarkable campaign and reinforce their position as the dominant force in international football.
The triumph adds the World Cup to the European Championship title Spain won in 2024 under Luis de la Fuente. La Roja also extended their unbeaten international run to 38 matches, highlighting the consistency of a team built around experienced leaders and an emerging generation of young players.
The result represents a changing of the guard on football’s biggest stage. While Argentina arrived as defending champions and with Messi pursuing another defining moment in his career, Spain’s collective strength ultimately proved decisive.
For Argentina, the defeat brought a painful end to a strong title defence. Messi and his teammates reached another World Cup final but could not reproduce the dramatic success they achieved against France in 2022.
Spain’s first World Cup title came in South Africa in 2010, when Andrés Iniesta scored an extra-time winner against the Netherlands. Sixteen years later, Torres delivered another decisive extra-time goal to return La Roja to the summit of world football.
Spain will also receive the tournament’s $50 million top prize, while Argentina will earn $33 million as runners-up.
