Published: July 20, 2026 at 12:30 pm
Spain, riding on the sole strike of Frank Torres, were crowned FIFA World Cup 2026 champions after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in a gripping final that showcased tactical discipline, defensive resilience and moments of individual brilliance. Ferran Torres emerged as the hero with the decisive strike, while Lamine Yamal celebrated victory in his debut FIFA World Cup final, as La Roja lifted their second FIFA World Cup title.
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The final carried historic significance as Lionel Messi became only the second player in history to feature in three FIFA World Cup finals, while teenage sensation Lamine Yamal made his first-ever appearance on football’s biggest stage.
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Spain dominated possession throughout the contest, dictating the tempo from the opening whistle and forcing Argentina to spend long periods without the ball. La Roja’s patient build-up and midfield dominance restricted Argentina’s attacking rhythm, with La Albiceleste failing to register a single shot on target until the second half of extra time. The final evolved into a tense tactical battle, with Spain’s control in possession matched by Argentina’s defensive resilience and physical approach.
Spain dominated possession throughout the contest, dictating the tempo from the opening whistle and forcing Argentina to spend long periods without the ball. Pics: FIFA
The turning point arrived in stoppage time when Enzo Fernández was sent off in the 90+3rd minute after receiving a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Pau Cubarsí, forcing Argentina to play the remainder of the final with ten men.
Moments later, Emiliano Martínez produced another outstanding stop to deny Lamine Yamal from a dangerous free-kick, awarded after Leandro Paredes fouled Ferran Torres. The save further extended Martínez’s record as the goalkeeper with the most saves in a FIFA World Cup Final.
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Spain believed they had broken the deadlock in the 96th minute when Nico Williams found the net, only for the goal to be ruled out after Mikel Merino was adjudged to have fouled Nicolás Otamendi in the build-up.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 106th minute. Nico Williams headed a perfect pass to Ferran Torres, who kept his composure before drilling a left-footed finish into the top of the net to send the Spanish supporters into celebration.
It was a goal for 47 million people: Torres
“I think, in the end, the goal was for 47 million people; it wasn’t just mine or from the 26 players here. I believe that today’s outcome was written in the stars. (The game) was there for us to win, far from our people, but we did our best to make them feel as close as possible. All finals are difficult, when Messi is on the opposition team that nervousness always creeps in, but ultimately we’ve always stuck to our guns, to playing our own brand of football, and I think today we’ve shown that once again,” said Ferran Torres.
Spain managed the closing stages of extra time with composure to secure a famous 1-0 victory and reclaim football’s biggest prize. Remarkably, both of Spain’s FIFA World Cup triumphs have been sealed by winning goals scored in the second half of extra time, adding another iconic chapter to the nation’s football history.
Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner crowned La Roja as FIFA World Cup 2026 champions, while Lamine Yamal celebrated World Cup glory in his very first final appearance. Argentina’s bid for another world title ultimately fell just short after a valiant defensive effort in a fiercely contested final.
“I feel especially proud of this generation of footballers who have grown with this idea, making it better and giving us an example of a group, of a family. They are players with exceptional talent. For me, it’s been an honour to have accompanied them on this journey. I’m very emotional, looking back. We have spoken a lot with the players. We’ve won everything and that is wonderful. They are a generation of footballers who are a source of pride for Spain. Together, we are stronger.
“I think the game should have been decided earlier. Dibu’s (Martinez) great saves prevented us from winning sooner but it’s a World Cup final and, even with ten players at the end, you have to suffer,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
Argentina had hit 19 goals on their way to the final yet Spain’s control was such that La Albiceleste did not manage a single attempt until extra time. Their task became even greater when Fernandez was sent off following a challenge on Cubarsi three minutes into second-half added time. Extra time brought more of the same.
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“(I feel) sadness but knowing that we left everything out there. I have a lot of things to say about how we got here but it’s not worth it. I want to thank these guys eternally for giving us another World Cup final and for competing until the end. They (Spain) were better, that’s the truth. But I’ll hold on to an enormous memory of what they’ve done, of what it’s worth to get this far. We have to give it huge value because it takes a lot to get here. We’re big in victory and we have to be big in defeat. Today we’re showing that we know how to lose. We lost the match and we’re owning it. But that doesn’t mean we’ll stop remembering everything we did to get here,” said Lionel Scaloni, Argentine coach.
Key takeaways from the final
Spain’s total of one goal conceded is the lowest for a World Cup-winning team in a single edition of the tournament.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon has set a record for most clean sheets in a World Cup tournament with seven.
Spain’s Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, both 19, are the fourth and fifth teenagers to have played in a World Cup final. As with Pele (aged 17 in 1958), Giuseppe Bergomi (18 in 1982) and Kylian Mbappe (19 in 2018), they have all ended up on the winning side.
At 65 years and 28 days old, Luis de la Fuente has become the oldest World Cup-winning coach, surpassing the mark of his compatriot Vicente del Bosque who was 59 years and 220 days when winning Spain’s first world title.
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Spain are the first team to be reigning champions of both the men’s and women’s World Cups at the same time, having won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
At 39 years and 25 days old, Lionel Messi became the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup final, breaking the record of Sweden’s Gunnar Gren, who faced Brazil in 1958 aged 37 years and 241 days. Substitute Nicolas Otamendi beat Gren’s record too to become the second-oldest outfield player (38 years, 157 days).
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Messi is also now the second player to have appeared in three World Cup finals, doing so in 2014, 2022 and 2026, after Brazil’s Cafu, who played in the 1994, 1998, 2002 deciders.
La Roja are undefeated in regular time in their last 38 matches (W29 D9), having not lost since 22 March 2024, when they succumbed 1-0 to Colombia in a friendly in London. This is their longest-ever unbeaten sequence and has beaten Italy’s record for a European nation of 37, set between October 2018 and September 2021; it was Spain who ended that run by triumphing 2-1 in a UEFA Nations League encounter on 6 October 2021.
