Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to give Spain a 1–0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday, 19 July. The match at New York New Jersey Stadium was goalless after 90 minutes. Torres, introduced from the bench in the second half, met a driven cross from fellow substitute Nico Williams and finished first time. Spain then protected the lead through the remaining period of extra time.
The victory gave Spain its second men's World Cup, 16 years after the 2010 team beat the Netherlands in Johannesburg. Argentina had reached the final as defending champion after its 2022 title in Qatar. FIFA's first 48-team World Cup, played across 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the United States, ended with a single goal separating the finalists.
The expanded tournament lasted 39 days and used 16 stadiums. FIFA recorded 308 goals and total attendance of 6,810,966. Spain finished that schedule having allowed one goal, which FIFA identified as a record for a World Cup champion. Its opponents had to create chances in limited periods without the ball, and Argentina found none during regulation in the final.
Spain controlled the first 90 minutes
Spain had most of the attacking work during regulation. The Royal Spanish Football Federation's match report recorded 15 Spanish shots, 10 on target, and no attempt by Argentina before the end of the 90 minutes. Emiliano Martínez kept the match level with saves that included a Nico Williams effort and a Lamine Yamal free kick.
Argentina defended close to its penalty area for long periods and found little room to move the ball forward. Spain recycled possession and returned to the edge of the box, where Argentina continued to block routes to goal. The score remained 0–0 despite the volume of Spanish attempts, leaving the match dependent on a late opening or extra time.
Enzo Fernández made Argentina's position more difficult in second-half stoppage time. He received a second yellow card following a challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsí and was sent off. Argentina began extra time with 10 players after spending regulation without registering a shot.
The substitutes found the goal
Luis de la Fuente had started changing his team well before the dismissal. Pedri and Torres entered in the 62nd minute. Williams and Mikel Merino followed in the 75th, giving Spain fresh runners on the wing and in the penalty area. Eric García and Martín Zubimendi came on in the 99th minute as the coach used the depth of his squad through extra time.
Spain threatened early in the additional period. Williams had an effort saved, then put the ball in the net in the 96th minute. The goal was disallowed for a foul by Merino in the buildup. Merino later sent a header wide. Martínez and the Argentine defence reached the interval in extra time without conceding.
The decisive move arrived soon after play resumed. Williams advanced and sent a low, driven ball across the area. Torres met it without taking a controlling touch and directed his finish past Martínez. The two players had begun the final on the bench. Their timing and the speed of the cross allowed Spain to complete an attack before the reduced Argentine defence could reset.
Argentina still had time to respond, and Spain had to manage the final minutes with a one-goal lead. Unai Simón and the defenders in front of him completed a clean sheet. When the match ended, Spain had gone through the entire final without allowing the defending champion a goal.
A second title and three awards
The tournament was De la Fuente's third major success with the national team. Spain won the UEFA Nations League in 2023 and the European Championship in 2024 before taking the World Cup in 2026. The final was his 50th match as Spain coach, according to the federation.
FIFA's individual awards reflected Spain's strength through the centre of the team. Captain Rodri received the Golden Ball as the competition's best player. Simón won the Golden Glove, and 19-year-old Cubarsí was named the tournament's best young player. France forward Kylian Mbappé, whose team lost to Spain in the semi-final, received the Golden Boot.
The awards covered three generations of the side. Rodri captained the team from midfield, Simón completed the tournament in goal, and Cubarsí established himself at centre-back while still eligible for the youth prize. Their recognition placed the defensive work behind Spain's possession alongside the attacking contribution that decided the final.
Spain also became the first country to hold the men's and women's World Cup trophies at the same time. The women's national team won its first world title in 2023. The men's team now joins the 2010 champions in the federation's record, with each Spanish World Cup victory decided by a 1–0 score after extra time.
Torres's goal supplied the final entry in that record. He had been on the field for 44 minutes when Williams's cross reached him in the 106th. Williams had entered 31 minutes earlier. The substitutes produced the only completed move either team turned into a goal, and Spain left New Jersey with its second star.