Spain are world champions again. Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute at MetLife Stadium to give Spain a 1-0 victory over Argentina after extra time in the 2026 World Cup Final. A goalless 90 minutes gave way to a decisive moment in the second period of extra time, settling a final that Argentina spent largely defending with ten men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time.
Key Moments
- 41′, Lisandro Martinez picked up a yellow card for Argentina, and was substituted off just three minutes later before halftime, forcing an early tactical reshuffle from Lionel Scaloni.
- 52′, Leandro Paredes booked for unsportsmanlike conduct, adding to Argentina’s disciplinary problems in a fractious second half.
- 90′, Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card for roughing, reducing Argentina to ten men in the final seconds of regulation and fundamentally altering the extra-time picture.
- 106′, Ferran Torres, who had come on as a substitute, converted to give Spain the lead and ultimately the trophy. The goal stood as the only one of the match.
- 111′, Alexis Mac Allister was booked for roughing in the final minutes of extra time, compounding Argentina’s miserable night for discipline.
Tactical Breakdown
Spain dominated from the first whistle. Luis de la Fuente’s side finished with 65% possession, 852 passes at 89% accuracy, and 12 shots on target against an Argentina side that managed zero shots on target across the entire match. Spain’s expected goals figure of 1.94 tells the story of a team that controlled the game almost completely, with Emiliano Martinez making 11 saves to keep Argentina in it through 90 minutes.
The turning point came not from a tactical shift by Spain but from Argentina’s collapse in discipline. Fernandez’s red card at the death of normal time left Scaloni’s side with ten men for the entirety of extra time. Spain, already the dominant side, simply kept circulating the ball and eventually found the breakthrough through Torres, who came on as a late substitute. The numerical advantage made a one-goal margin look smaller than the performance suggested.
Argentina’s setup was always going to be defensive. With just 35% possession and two total shots across 120 minutes, they had no real answer to Spain’s press and movement. The accumulation of six yellow cards and a red, many for cynical fouls, pointed to a side that resorted to physicality when unable to compete with the ball. Scaloni was also booked on the touchline in extra time, reflecting the frustration running through the entire Argentine setup.
Player Ratings
World Cup knockout bracket
Knockout results, aggregate scores across legs; winners in bold, penalty shootouts noted.
Head to Head
Verdict
Spain claimed their fourth World Cup title with a performance that was dominant in every measurable way, even if it took an extra-time goal to confirm it. Argentina, the defending champions, were undone by their own indiscipline as much as by Spain’s quality. For Luis de la Fuente’s side, this completes back-to-back major international tournament wins following Euro 2024, cementing this generation as one of the best Spain has ever produced.
Argentina
Spain
Ferran Torres