It took 106 minutes for Ferran Torres to attain the primary and solely purpose within the 2026 FIFA World Cup closing at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, giving Spain the 1-0 win over Argentina within the deciding match.
Spain dominated the match, outshooting Argentina 20-3, however could not handle a purpose in regulation. Argentina performed all of additional time down a person after Enzo Fernández picked up his second yellow card of the match within the third minute of stoppage time on the finish of the second half.
Within the opening second of the second 15-minute interval of additional time, Torres pounced on a bouncing ball within the field and used his left foot to bury a shot just below the crossbar and into the again of the online. Torres, who got here on as an alternative within the 62nd minute, smashed the ball previous Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for his first purpose of the World Cup.
“It was a purpose scored by 47 million folks,” Torres stated, referring to Spain’s inhabitants.
Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA by way of Getty Pictures 
Fernández was carded for a reckless play that despatched Spain defender Pau Cubarsi cartwheeling into the air, and the cardboard got here out instantly.
One other foul about two minutes after play resumed gave Lamine Yamal an opportunity to win it from about 22 yards out on a free kick. Yamal’s strike was curling towards the proper submit, and Martinez dove to knock it away for his tenth save of the afternoon. He would finish the sport with 12 saves — probably the most ever in a World Cup closing.
He leaped to his ft, punching the air and imploring the gang to get loud. Not lengthy after that got here the whistle, sending the sport to additional time. Spain took 15 pictures in regulation, Argentina none. Spain took 9 corners, Argentina one. And in some way, 90-plus minutes of that kind of dominance weren’t sufficient. With its victory, Spain turned the primary nation to concurrently maintain the World Cup crowns in each males’s and ladies’s soccer.
Spain allowed just one purpose in eight matches on the match, setting a World Cup file for fewest objectives allowed by a champion.
La Roja is now unbeaten in its final 38 matches — 29 wins, 9 attracts — and is now the outright holder of the longest such streak by any European staff ever. Italy went 37 matches (28 wins, 9 attracts) from October 2018 by September 2021, earlier than Spain ended that streak.
And for the final two-plus years, no person has crushed Spain. Not even Lionel Messi. An Argentina staff that was the king of the late-game rally on this match had no reply this time.
Baldesca Samper/Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures 
Messi took a nook kick with about 4 minutes left earlier than the ultimate whistle, and the ball took a lucky skip towards reserve Giuliano Simeone, who despatched it excessive and over the crossbar, holding his head in disbelief afterward.
The win made Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, at 65, the oldest coach ever to guide a staff to the World Cup title. “We’re world champions,” de la Fuente stated. “It was collectively we reached this stage.”
There was some pushing and shoving after the ultimate whistle, together with Argentina’s Leandro Paredes showing to seize a Spanish participant by the throat. However the combating was shortly cleaned up, and Spain commenced its celebration as most Argentine gamers sat on the turf in disbelief. Cooler heads prevailed, and Spain’s gamers lined up minutes later to kind an honor guard of types for Argentina’s squad to stroll by on its option to the stage for the runner-up medals.
With 48 nations from throughout the globe competing this yr, it was the biggest FIFA World Cup in historical past. The boys’s closing capped a 39-day whirlwind that noticed greater than six million followers attend matches in three completely different host nations, together with, for the primary time in many years, the USA. The ultimate passed off as skies started to clear over the Northeast, after a number of hazy days of wildfire smoke traveled southward from Canada.
Argentina was the defending champion and had been angling to turn out to be the primary nation to safe two consecutive World Cup titles since Brazil’s back-to-back victories throughout the tournaments in 1958 and 1962. However Spain, which was barely favored to take house the title this yr, wouldn’t be denied its second World Cup title.
AP Photograph/Yuki Iwamura 
Sunday’s match got here 60 years after groups representing the 2 finalists met throughout the 1966 World Cup, when Argentina defeated Spain in a 2-1 match throughout the match’s group stage.
This was solely the second time Spain has competed within the closing, with the primary being the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which was additionally the nation’s inaugural World Cup win. Argentina had reached the finals seven occasions, beforehand profitable three of them.
AP Photograph/Frank Franklin II 
A who’s who of attendees
As gamers and crowds equipped for the ultimate, there was a pre-match closing ceremony held at 1:30, that includes musical company Submit Malone and Robbie Williams, with Jennifer Hudson performing the nationwide anthem. Actor Tom Cruise additionally appeared on the ceremony, whereas Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS, the Muppets and others carried out throughout the 11-minute halftime present.
World figures together with President Trump, Spain’s Royal Household and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had been within the stands, together with celebrities like Matt Damon, Carlos Alcaraz and Mick Jagger.
Mr. Trump arrived on the stadium shortly earlier than 2:30 p.m., after a flyover within the helicopter Marine One. He was then noticed in his field with First Woman Melania Trump, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of State Sean Duffy. He was additionally joined by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who Mr. Trump invited amid commerce tensions between the 2 nations.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul instructed “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday that she was assured within the safety measures in place for the match, in gentle of its checklist of outstanding company.
“We have now been making ready for this for, actually, over a yr,” stated Hochul, noting that federal, state and native regulation enforcement has coordinated carefully on greater than “1,000 workout routines, table-topping all of the situations” that might come up.
“I really feel very assured in our safety, and we’re so completely happy to welcome the eyes of the world,” the governor added. “All the planet goes to be watching what is occurring proper right here within the New York Metropolis space. So it is thrilling, very thrilling time for us.”
