Match Report
Spain didn't just win the World Cup final — they did not give Argentina a sniff. From kickoff, Luis de la Fuente's side did to Argentina in the final exactly what they'd done to every knockout opponent this World Cup: took the ball, and simply refused to give it back. Regulation time finished 0-0, but the scoreline was deceptive. Spain finished the ninety minutes with 15 shots to Argentina's zero and nine corners to one, with Lamine Yamal, Cucurella and Fabián Ruiz probing constantly and Emiliano Martínez standing on his head to keep it level. Argentina, so used to producing something from nothing in every knockout match this tournament, simply couldn't find a foothold, and their mid-field and forwards were practically non-existent - except when they were busy fouling the Spaniards. Did they mistakenly think they were playing in the NFL?
But just as it felt like this stalemate would drag on into extra time, deep into stoppage time, Enzo Fernández was shown a second yellow card and sent off for a reckless challenge that sent Pau Cubarsí cartwheeling through the air like a trapeze artist who missed the landing. That meant that Argentina would need to play the rest of the game with just 10 men. Moments later, off the resulting free kick, Lamine Yamal himself nearly ended it right there: a curling 22-yard strike bent toward the far post that Martínez somehow got a hand to, diving full-stretch to push it away for his tenth save of the afternoon. It sent the match to extra time still scoreless, Argentina down a man and surviving entirely because of Dibu's heroics.
After parrying wave after wave of Spanish onslaughts in extra time, the dam finally broke in the very first minute of the second period of extra time. Ferran Torres — on since the 62nd minute for Mikel Oyarzabal — pounced on a bouncing ball inside the box after Nico Williams headed a Pedro Porro cross into his path, and buried a left-footed finish just under the crossbar in the 106th minute. Later, he said that the shot has the power of 47 million Spanish people. Finally, Spain were up, and deservingly so. They held their nerve and their extraordinary defensive record the rest of the way, with Martínez finishing the match with 11 saves — the most ever recorded in a men's World Cup final — in a losing cause. Full time: Spain 1, Argentina 0, after extra time.
Spain lift their second World Cup, their first since 2010, and become the first nation ever to simultaneously hold the men's and women's World Cup titles. They conceded just once across the entire knockout stage - another record. Torres becomes only the second substitute in history to score a World Cup final winning goal. And Argentina's remarkable run — a tournament defined by four separate knockout-round escape acts — finally runs out of steam.
🏆 First Nation to Hold Both World Cup Titles at Once
Spain's men joined Spain's women — the reigning, top-ranked Women's World Cup champions — as simultaneous world champions, a first in the sport's history. It's also Spain's first men's title since 2010, won the same way: 1-0, in a final defined by defensive control.
🥅 A Historic Night for Emiliano Martínez — In Defeat
Martínez made 11 saves in the final, a men's World Cup final record, including a full-stretch stop on a Lamine Yamal free kick in stoppage time that kept Argentina alive into extra time. It wasn't enough. Spain finished the match with 12 shots on target to Argentina's zero.
Match Timeline
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1'-90'
🔒
Spain dominate regulation. 15 shots to 0, 9 corners to 1. Emiliano Martínez repeatedly denies Spain to keep it scoreless.
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90+'
🟥
RED CARD — Enzo Fernández 🇦🇷. Shown a second yellow for a reckless challenge that sends Pau Cubarsí flying. Argentina down to 10 men.
-
90+'
🧤
SAVE — Martínez, on Lamine Yamal 🇪🇸. A curling 22-yard free kick heading for the far post, pushed away full-stretch — Martínez's 10th save of the afternoon. 0-0 stands; the match goes to extra time.
-
62'
🔄
Ferran Torres 🇪🇸 comes on for Mikel Oyarzabal — a substitution that goes on to decide the World Cup.
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106'
⚽
GOAL — Ferran Torres 🇪🇸 (ast. Williams, Porro). Pedro Porro's cross is headed into Torres' path by Nico Williams; Torres pounces on the bouncing ball and finishes left-footed just under the crossbar. Spain 1-0.
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106'-120'
🛡️
Spain, a man to the good, see out the lead. Martínez finishes with 11 saves — a men's World Cup final record — but can't prevent defeat.
-
FT
🏆
Full time (AET). Spain 1-0 Argentina. Spain are 2026 FIFA World Cup champions — their second title, first since 2010.
What They Said
"I think in the end the goal belongs to 47 million people, not to me. Destiny was written, it was made for us to win."Ferran Torres, Spain forward and match-winner
"All finals are difficult, but when you have Messi on the opposing team, that nervousness always sets in, but we depended on ourselves and we proved it once again."Ferran Torres
"Pride for this generation of footballers that have been growing with this idea, staying loyal to the idea, and doing their best."Luis de la Fuente, Spain manager
"We're great in victory, and we have to show that we're great in defeat too. We lost, but that doesn't mean we're going to stop remembering everything we did to get here. If you leave everything out there like they did today, it's a great example for our people, for the country."Lionel Scaloni, Argentina manager
"I have a lot of things I could say about how we got here, but it's not worth it. I'm grateful to these boys for what they did to get us this far."Lionel Scaloni, on Argentina's run to the final
Argentina
0 – 1
Spain
Full Time (AET) · The Final
☁️ The Couch's Prediction
Argentina 2-3 Spain (AET)
The best call of the whole tournament, and still mostly wrong. The Couch correctly picked Spain to win, correctly called extra time, and correctly flagged Yamal as the man who'd define the final — he nearly did, forcing the World Cup final's most-saved night out of Martínez with a stoppage-time free kick. But the actual goal, and the actual match-winner, was Ferran Torres, a substitute never mentioned once in the prediction — and the 3-2 shootout the Couch promised turned into the tightest, lowest-scoring final in years. Confidence rating: RIGHT TEAM, WRONG EVERYTHING ELSE — WHICH, FOR THE COUCH, IS PROGRESS.
Match Stats
- Final ScoreArgentina 0-1 Spain (AET)
- ScorerFerran Torres 106' (sub)
- Red cardEnzo Fernández (Arg), 2nd yellow, 90+'
- Shots on targetSpain 12, Argentina 0
- Shots in regulationSpain 15, Argentina 0
- CornersSpain 9, Argentina 1
- Martínez saves11 — World Cup final record
- Spain's knockout goals conceded1 in 6 matches (incl. final)
- Golden Boot (final)Mbappé 10 (winner) · Messi 8
- Tournament total goals308 — most ever in a World Cup
Player Ratings
Emiliano MartínezGK · ARG8.9
Ferran TorresFW · SPA (sub)8.7 · MOTM
Lamine YamalFW · SPA8.4
Pedro PorroDF · SPA8.0
Fabián RuizMF · SPA7.8
Cristian RomeroDF · ARG7.3
Lionel MessiFW · ARG6.5
Enzo FernándezMF · ARG4.2
MOTM
Ferran Torres 🇪🇸
Sixty-two minutes on the bench, then the goal that won the World Cup — pouncing on a bouncing ball in the box to finish left-footed under the crossbar in the first minute of the second period of extra time. Only the second substitute in history to score the winner in a World Cup final. "The goal belongs to 47 million people, not to me," he said afterward. Spain would probably disagree about who deserves the credit.