World Cup 2026 final: Spain beat Argentina 1-0 to win their second title

Spain are champions of the world. On Sunday, 19 July 2026, at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Luis de la Fuente's side beat defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time to lift the FIFA World Cup for the second time in their history — and their first since 2010. Substitute Ferran Torres settled a tense, one-sided final in the 106th minute, sparking wild celebrations among a crowd of more than 70,000.

How the final unfolded

For 98 minutes the scoreboard stayed blank, but the balance of play never did. Spain dominated from the first whistle, finishing with 20 shots to Argentina's two, and 12 efforts on target to the holders' none. The reason it stayed goalless for so long was Emiliano Martínez: the Argentina goalkeeper produced a World Cup final record 11 saves, denying an inspired Lamine Yamal and repelling wave after wave of Spanish pressure. The game finally turned in stoppage time at the end of normal time, when Enzo Fernández was shown a second yellow card, reducing Argentina to ten men for extra time.

With the extra man, Spain kept knocking. They thought they had scored through Nico Williams, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul in the build-up, but the breakthrough came within a minute of the extra-time restart. Williams beat his marker on the left and pulled the ball back for Ferran Torres, who lashed it past Martínez in the 106th minute. Argentina, who had scored 19 goals across their first seven matches, could not manage a single shot on target in the entire final — a remarkable statistic that summed up Spain's control.

What Spain's win means

Victory makes Spain one of only a handful of nations to hold the world and European titles at the same time, adding the 2026 trophy to the continental crown they already held. It is a second world title to sit alongside their 2010 triumph in South Africa, and it confirms a golden generation driven by midfield metronome Rodri — who lifted the trophy — and 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal. For Argentina and Lionel Messi it was a painful ending: at 39, this was almost certainly the great forward's final World Cup, and his bid to repeat the 2022 win over France fell agonisingly short.

The road to the final

Both finalists reached New Jersey by beating a European heavyweight in the last four. Spain were ruthless in dismantling the world's number-one side, France, 2-0, while Argentina edged England 2-1 with two late goals. The 2026 edition — the first 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada — kicked off on 11 June and served up plenty of drama, not least Spain's own stuttering start: they opened with a draw against tournament debutants Cape Verde before finding their rhythm.

A look back at recent World Cup finals

Spain's triumph continues a run of unforgettable finals. In 2022, Argentina and Messi finally got their hands on the trophy in Qatar, beating France 4-2 on penalties after a breathless 3-3 draw that many rate as the greatest final ever played. Four years before that, in 2018, a youthful France side powered by Kylian Mbappé beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow to claim their second star.

Before that, Germany were kings of the world, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2014 final in Brazil thanks to Mario Götze's late winner. And in 2010 it was Spain's turn for the very first time: Andrés Iniesta's extra-time strike saw off the Netherlands 1-0 in Johannesburg, launching the era of tiki-taka dominance that the class of 2026 has now echoed in New Jersey.

Spain's second star lifts them level with Uruguay and just behind Argentina, who remain on three. Brazil are still the most successful nation in history with five World Cups, ahead of Germany and Italy on four apiece. With the trophy heading back to Europe, the balance of power in world football looks as open as ever heading toward 2030 — when the tournament marks its 100th anniversary across six host nations on three continents.

Frequently asked questions