After defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time, Spain become victorious in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Finals. It also terminated Lionel Messi’s quest for consecutive titles. Argentina’s run as world champions came to an end when Ferran Torres scored the game-winning goal in the 106th minute. The win gave Luis de la Fuente’s team it’s second world cup title.
Despite Spain controlling possession for extended periods of time, the match was still tied after 90 minutes. After collecting his second yellow card, Enzo Fernandez was sent off, forcing Lionel Scaloni’s team to play the rest of the match with just 10 players. Despite Argentina’s tenacious defence, they managed to keep Spain at bay.
With Torres making the most of their numerical advantage to settle a tense final and ignite jubilation among the Spanish players and spectators, Spain ultimately made progress in extra time.
From the first whistle, Spain sets the pace
Spain sets the tone for the World Cup finals right away. They drove Argentina into a deep, tight Defensive formation, controlled possesion, and moved the ball purposefully. Emiliano Martinez was put to the test in the first half by Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Mikel Oyarzabal, but the Argentina custodian made many crucial stops to keep the score tied. Under Lionel Scaloni, Argentina stayed structured and seemed threatening on the counter, but there were few clear-cut opportunities.
The pattern was the same in the second half. Argentina absorbed pressure and waited for times of transition while Spain persisted in pushing and probing. As both teams saw how serious the situation was, the game became more aggressive.
Argentina downed to eleven men
Enzo Fernandez was given a second yellow card for a late tackle on Pau Cubarsi. It happened in the third minute of stoppage time. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, had to play with 10 men for most of extra time. Spain had to wait for the breakthrough despite having numerical edge.
Nico Williams believed he had given Spain the lead early in the first extra time session. It was when he completed following a scramble involving Martinez and Mikel Merino. But once the video assistant referee verified that Merino had trodden on Nicolas Oramendi’s toe during the build up, the goal was disallowed.
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