Spain have reclaimed the men’s FIFA World Cup after substitute Ferran Torres scored in extra time to secure a 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina in New Jersey.
Torres struck in the 106th minute at New York New Jersey Stadium, lifting a left-footed shot beyond goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and into the roof of the net after pouncing on a bouncing ball inside the penalty area. The victory gave Spain their second men’s World Cup title and their first since 2010.
The decisive moment came after Argentina had been reduced to 10 players during stoppage time at the end of regulation. Midfielder Enzo Fernández received a second yellow card following a reckless challenge that sent Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí tumbling through the air.
Spain continued to press throughout extra time before Torres, introduced from the bench during the second half, finally broke Argentina’s resistance.
“It was a goal scored by 47 million people,” Torres said after delivering the biggest moment of his international career.
The scoreline suggested an even contest, but Spain controlled possession and created nearly all the opportunities. Luis de la Fuente’s side recorded 20 attempts, including 12 on target, while official statistics credited Argentina with only two attempts and none on target. Argentina became the first team to complete the opening 90 minutes of a men’s World Cup final without registering a shot.
Martínez repeatedly kept Argentina in the match, producing a World Cup final-record 12 saves as Spain struggled to turn their control into goals. His performance pushed the contest towards penalties before Torres found the breakthrough with Spain’s 20th attempt.
Argentina’s defensive approach restricted Spain’s space for much of the match, while Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez struggled to trouble a Spanish defence that had dominated throughout the tournament.
Messi, 39, was playing in his third World Cup final and attempting to lead Argentina to consecutive titles after their triumph in Qatar in 2022. He had indicated that the tournament could be his final World Cup, giving the defeat added weight as he left the field in tears.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said his team accepted the result despite the disappointment.
“We lost the game, and we accept that,” Scaloni said, while praising the efforts of his players and the achievements of Messi’s generation.
Argentina’s defeat ended its attempt to become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to defend the men’s World Cup successfully. Messi’s recent international era included the 2022 World Cup and Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024.
Spain, by contrast, completed the tournament unbeaten and conceded only one goal across eight matches, setting a record for the fewest goals allowed by a men’s World Cup champion. Goalkeeper Unai Simón kept seven clean sheets and received the Golden Glove.
Spain began their campaign with a goalless draw against World Cup debutants Cape Verde before defeating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 to finish at the top of Group H.
They then defeated Austria 3-0 in the round of 32, edged Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16, beat Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals and overcame France 2-0 in the semi-finals before facing Argentina.
Their ability to control matches without relying on one consistent goalscorer became the defining feature of the campaign.
Captain Rodri directed Spain’s possession from midfield and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. Cubarsí was named the best young player, while France captain Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot after scoring 10 goals.
Mikel Oyarzabal scored five goals for Spain during the tournament, while Lamine Yamal provided creativity from the wing. The 19-year-old Barcelona forward was only three years old when Andrés Iniesta scored Spain’s winning goal against the Netherlands in the 2010 final.
Yamal did not dominate the final as many expected, but Spain’s title reflected the depth of a squad able to find match-winners across midfield, defence and the substitutes’ bench.
Torres entered the match without a goal at the tournament and left as Spain’s World Cup final hero.
Spain coach De la Fuente, who also guided the national side to the UEFA European Championship in 2024, became the oldest coach to win a men’s World Cup at the age of 65.
“I feel pride, to be honest,” De la Fuente said.
He described accompanying the players through the campaign as an honour and praised a generation that had remained committed to Spain’s footballing approach.
Spain are now unbeaten across 38 matches, recording 29 victories and nine draws. The run surpassed Italy’s previous 37-match mark to become the longest unbeaten sequence by a European men’s national team.
The result also made Spain the first country to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup titles at the same time, following the Spanish women’s victory in 2023.
The final became increasingly heated after Fernández’s dismissal, with confrontations involving players from both sides at the final whistle. Spain’s players later formed a guard as the defeated Argentine squad walked towards the presentation stage to receive their runner-up medals.
Rodri then lifted the trophy as Spain returned to the top of world football, combining the world title with the European crown won two years earlier.
For Argentina, the defeat brought an emotional end to a campaign built around the possibility of one final triumph for Messi’s generation.
For Spain, it confirmed the arrival of another title-winning team — one built on control, depth and a defence that allowed only a single goal throughout the largest World Cup ever staged.
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