Spain Beats Argentina 1-0 in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup Title in History

Spain won the 2026 World Cup on Sunday, beating 10-man Argentina 1-0 in extra time behind a goal from substitute Ferran Torres. The result gave Spain its second World Cup title, matching the 1-0 extra-time win it recorded in South Africa in 2010. Argentina, playing a man down after Enzo Fernandez’s second-half red card, did not manage a shot on target until the second half of extra time.

Torres broke the deadlock in the 106th minute, finishing a low cross from Nico Williams for what proved to be the only goal of the match. Spain finished with 20 shots to Argentina’s 2, 12 of them on target compared to none for the Argentines, and held a commanding 1.94-0.22 edge in expected goals. Kalshi’s prediction market had favored Spain heading into kickoff, and the final result matched the market’s read on the tie.

How Spain Took the Game Away From Argentina

Spain’s dominance was built on the same blueprint that carried the team through the semifinal against France. Rodri anchored the midfield and denied Messi time on the ball in the central pockets he prefers to drop into, rather than trying to man-mark him directly, an approach that has failed against Messi for two decades. Spain held 65 percent possession and won nine corners to Argentina’s four, controlling the tempo from the opening whistle.

Messi completed all nine of his passes in the first half but had almost no influence on the game beyond that, mirroring how Spain shut down Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise in the semifinal by closing off central service before it reached them. Lamine Yamal, by contrast, kept pulling Argentina’s back line out of shape on the opposite flank, forcing defenders to choose between containing him and holding the line against Spain’s midfield rotations. Argentina, needing to defend with 10 men after Fernandez’s dismissal, had no answer for either problem in the final half hour.

Emiliano Martinez Stood Alone for Argentina

Argentina’s night rested almost entirely on goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who made 10 saves, a record for a men’s World Cup final. Martinez kept the match scoreless through 90 minutes and deep into extra time, denying Spain repeatedly as Argentina struggled to generate any attacking threat of its own. Fernandez’s dismissal, a second yellow card shown in the 93rd minute for a hard tackle, left Argentina to defend the final half hour with 10 players.

A Tournament Defense for the Record Books

Spain’s title rests on a defensive record that stands apart from the result itself. The team conceded only one goal across seven matches this World Cup, a mark few champions in the tournament’s history have matched. Coach Luis de la Fuente built the run on a back line anchored by Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte, with Rodri’s positioning in front of them credited as central to the record.

That single goal conceded came earlier in the knockout rounds, and Spain closed the tournament with its seventh clean sheet, the final whistle Sunday sealing the feat. Few teams reach a World Cup final having given up so little, and fewer still do it while also winning the trophy. The achievement completes an unbeaten run that also included the 2024 European Championship and 2023 UEFA Nations League titles.

Messi’s Chase for Back-to-Back Ends

Argentina’s loss means the country will not join Brazil, the only nation to win consecutive World Cups, having done so in 1958 and 1962. Messi has said this will be his final World Cup, as he would be 43 by the time the 2030 tournament arrives. Rodri, Spain’s captain and the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, lifted the trophy to cap what he had called before the match a deliberately unfinished ambition.

Four Leaders on Hand for the Trophy Ceremony

President Trump joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino in presenting the trophy to Spain’s captain, as had been arranged before kickoff. Trump lingered at the edge of the players as they celebrated, remaining in the frame of Spain’s team photo even as Infantino attempted to usher him aside. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose countries co-hosted the tournament alongside the United States, were also on stage greeting players during the ceremony.

The scene closed a tournament that expanded to 48 teams for the first time and drew record attention from broadcasters and prediction markets worldwide. Spain has become the first team since Brazil’s back-to-back run over 60 years ago to pair a European Championship title with a World Cup crown in successive tournaments, and the first side in the 48-team era to finish as champions without conceding more than once.