Spain wins the World Cup by beating
Argentina 1-0 on Ferran Torres' goal in extra time
[July 20, 2026]
By TIM REYNOLDS
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — This is how good Spain was at the World
Cup: Not even Lionel Messi had any answers.
And when it was over, Spain walked off with the trophy. Messi simply
walked off in tears.
Spain is back atop the soccer world for a second time, after Ferran
Torres’ first goal of this year's World Cup — unquestionably the
goal of his life — gave his country a 1-0 win over now-dethroned
champion Argentina in the final on Sunday.
“It was a goal scored by 47 million people,” Torres said, referring
to Spain’s population.
Maybe not by them — but certainly for them.
The goal came with Argentina down to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez was
sent off late in regulation following a reckless tackle. Tempers
flared then, and flared again after the final whistle with Argentina
coach Lionel Scaloni and players from both sides engaging in what
appeared to be some pushing and shoving.
In the end, Spain denied Messi a second straight title in what he
has indicated was his final World Cup match. Torres, a second-half
substitute, pounced on a bouncing ball in the box and used his left
foot to bury a shot just under the crossbar in the 106th minute.
From there, the airtight defense that dominated opponents throughout
the tournament came through one final time. Spain — which also won
the title in 2010 — allowed only one goal in eight matches in this
World Cup run, setting a record for fewest goals allowed by a
champion.
“I feel pride, to be honest,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente,
who at 65 is now the oldest man to lead a team to a World Cup title.
"Accompanying them on this journey is an honor.”
Spain gets a World Cup 1st
This title, combined with the Women's World Cup won by Spain in
2023, makes the European nation the first to hold both the men’s and
women’s titles simultaneously. And in the streets of Madrid —
probably many other places in Spain as well — countless people
spilled into the streets, celebrating Sunday's victory long into the
wee hours of Monday morning.
The score indicates this match was close, but only one team was in
command.
Spain took the game’s first 20 shots on goal before Argentina —
desperate for an equalizer — got its first attempt off in the second
half of extra time. Spain took nine of the game’s first 10 corner
kicks, and only a World Cup final-record 12 saves by Argentina
goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez gave the 2022 champions a shot at going
back-to-back.
“Dibu was nothing short of exceptional,” de la Fuente said,
referring to Argentina's keeper by his nickname.
Spain is now unbeaten in its last 38 matches — 29 wins, nine draws —
and is the outright holder of the longest such streak by any
European men's team ever. Italy went 37 matches (28 wins, nine
draws) from October 2018 through September 2021, before Spain ended
that streak.
And for the last two-plus years, nobody has beaten Spain. Not even
Messi. An Argentina team that was the kings of the late-game rally
in this tournament had no answer this time.
“We lost the game, and we accept that,” Scaloni said. “That doesn’t
mean that we will forget everything we’ve done so far, so I’d like
to thank my people, my players and the country. I can tell them that
we played our hearts out.”
Spain survives a late push
Messi took a corner kick with about four minutes left before the
final whistle and the ball took a fortunate skip toward substitute
Giuliano Simeone — who sent it high and over the crossbar, holding
his head in disbelief afterward.
“When you have Messi on the other side, well, you are nervous,”
Torres said. "At the end of the day, we always depended on us. We
always come up with our football, and we showed it again.”
After the post-match scuffles, they also paid tribute to the former
champions. Spain's players lined up to form an honor guard of sorts
for Argentina's squad to walk through on its way to the stage for
the runner-up medals from President Donald Trump and FIFA President
Gianni Infantino.
[to top of second column] |
Spain's Ferran Torres (7) celebrates after scoring the opening goal
of his team during the World Cup final soccer match between Spain
and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July
19, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“I think now I'm in a cloud,” said Spain midfielder
Rodri, the Golden Ball winner as the tournament's best player.
Argentina was forced to finish the match down a man after Fernandez
was sent off in second-half stoppage time after getting his second
yellow card. Fernandez was whistled for a collision that sent Spain
defender Pau Cubarsi cartwheeling into the air, and the card came
out immediately.
Defense led Spain to a title
It was the 104th and last match of the biggest World Cup ever, a
48-team event that played out over the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Because there were more matches than any previous World Cup, it was
no surprise that there were more goals than all other editions —
more than 300, nearly three per match.
Except, of course, when Spain was involved. Spain's plan was simple
and flawless: Hold the ball as much as possible, denying opponents
any hint of chances.
It worked, all the way to the end.
Messi is 39 and the math certainly suggests that the Inter Miami
star is at the end of his international career. There have been
hints — such as Messi himself declaring that a home World Cup
qualifying match against Venezuela last year would be his final
competitive contest for Argentina on his nation’s soil.
“I experienced a lot of things on this pitch, good and not so good,”
Messi said that night. “I’ll take the good with me.”
He retired from the national team after losing a Copa America final
to Chile — in the same stadium he played in Sunday — a decade ago,
then came back a few weeks later after changing his mind.
Good thing he did, because in that decade he went from superstar to
absolute icon.
There was the World Cup title in 2022. There were two Copa America
titles, the first in 2021 and the second in 2024. He won Argentina’s
player of the year award 16 times in a span of 19 years, first
winning it as a teenager and continuing to win it all the way into
his late 30s.
He's a legend within the game and on all corners of the globe. But
Spain was better Sunday.
“I spoke to my players, and they said: ‘Look, we’ve won everything,
coach. We’ve won everything,'” de la Fuente said. “And that is
beautiful.”
A final unlike any other
The spectacle was not limited to simply soccer.
Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS and Shakira were all part of a halftime
show that also featured Burna Boy, Jason Sudeikis in character as
“Ted Lasso” and even some of the Muppets. Jennifer Hudson, Post
Malone and Tom Cruise had roles in the closing ceremony, which
actually preceded the match.
A slew of actors, athletes and other celebrities were there: Spain’s
Javier Bardem left happy, Luciana Barroso Damon — the wife of actor
Matt Damon — probably did not, considering she was wearing the
colors of her native Argentina.
They all came to see a show. So did 80,000 other people, not to
mention perhaps as many as 2 billion watching around the globe.
Spain didn't disappoint. No team has won back-to-back men's World
Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, and Spain kept Argentina from
pulling off that repeat.
“As I told the lads before the game, we have to go for the game, we
need to face them, we have to look to their eyes and say we want
this game,” Rodri said. “And then, life gives you the World Cup or
not.”
Spain took it instead.
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