Spain defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The only goal of the match was scored by Ferran Torres in the 106th minute. Spain became world champion for the second time in this exciting final played at the MetLife Stadium in New York. Lionel Messi looked emotional after the defeat.
This was the last match of his World Cup career for 39-year-old Lionel Messi, but Spain made him taste defeat. The Spanish team conceded only one goal in the entire tournament and remained unbeaten. This proved to be their 38-match unbeaten streak, which is a record among European teams.
In the match, Spain maintained possession of the football throughout the match, the lead remained but Argentina countered with strong defence. No goals were scored for 90 minutes. In the second half of extra time, with the help of Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro, Nico Williams turned the ball back and Ferran Torres scored with a brilliant finish.
The match became more difficult for Argentina when Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card and were forced to play with 10 players. Argentina tried in the last minutes, but their team including Messi could not take even a single correct shot on the goalkeeper.
With this victory, Spain again became World Cup champion after 2010. They also won the 2024 Euro Cup. Spain is now the only European country to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup titles. Spain fans will remember this goal of Ferran Torres for a long time.
