Spain Beat Argentina 1-0 in Extra Time to Win 2026 World Cup

Spain are world champions again. The European champions edged out Argentina 1-0 after extra time in a tense, tightly fought final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, capping off an unbeaten tournament and denying Lionel Messi and Argentina a shot at back-to-back titles.

How the Final Unfolded

For long stretches, the final looked destined for penalties. Spain dominated possession and territory from the first whistle, but a resolute Argentina defence — marshalled in goal by Emiliano Martínez — held firm through 90 minutes of regulation time, with the game locked at 0-0.

Argentina’s night took a turn for the worse when midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off late in normal time, leaving Lionel Scaloni’s side to play the rest of the match a man down. Remarkably, Argentina barely troubled Spain’s goal all night, failing to register a single shot on target — a stark contrast to their talismanic captain Messi’s early promise, when a slick pass from Julián Álvarez in the fifth minute sent him clean through, only for Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón to beat him to the ball.

With the match goalless after 90 minutes, both sides pushed on into extra time. The deadlock finally broke in the 106th minute, when Nico Williams picked out Ferran Torres with a pinpoint header across the box, and Torres finished emphatically past Martínez to send the Spanish bench into raptures. Torres almost doubled the lead soon after, but a second effort was correctly ruled out for offside.

Argentina threw everything at Spain in the closing stages of extra time in search of an equaliser, but couldn’t find a way past a Spanish defence that conceded just a single goal across the entire tournament — a record that says as much about Spain’s title as any individual moment.

At the final whistle, tempers flared as some Argentina players clashed with jubilant Spanish opponents, before Spain’s players and staff began their trophy celebrations.

The Numbers That Defined the Final

• Final score: Spain 1-0 Argentina (after extra time)
• Goal: Ferran Torres, 106th minute, assisted by Nico Williams
• Sent off: Enzo Fernández (Argentina), late in normal time
• Saves: Emiliano Martínez made 11 saves in goal for Argentina — a men’s World Cup final record
• Shots on target (Argentina): Zero across the full 120 minutes
• Goals conceded by Spain across the tournament: Just one, in eight matches

What It Means

This is Spain’s second World Cup title, following their first triumph in 2010, and comes on the back of their European Championship win — cementing this Spanish generation, built around teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, as one of the most dominant sides in the modern game.

For Argentina, it’s a bittersweet end. Messi, who has previously hinted at retirement from World Cup football, has now said this will be his final World Cup appearance. Whether he continues into the 2028 Copa América remains to be seen, but Sunday’s final marked the end of his quest to lead Argentina to consecutive titles.

A Fitting Stage

The final capped off a landmark occasion in more ways than one. It was preceded by the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, featuring Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, and BTS, alongside Burna Boy and conductor Gustavo Dudamel — an 11-minute spectacle that organisers say was watched by billions worldwide, in support of FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund.

Between the historic halftime show and a final that stayed level until deep into extra time, the 2026 World Cup closed with all the drama fans could have asked for — and a new name etched onto football’s biggest trophy.