Spain won the 2026 World Cup on Sunday after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time during a dramatic final in New Jersey.
Ferran Torres scored the match-winner in the 106th minute, delivering Spain its second World Cup title in history - 16 years after the national team's historic first triumph in South Africa 2010.
While the final scoreline was minimal, the match itself was largely one-sided. Spain maintained near-total control, while Lionel Messi and his teammates struggled to register a single shot on target for almost the entire match, looking devoid of answers against Spain's pressing, discipline, and tactical superiority.
The turning point came in the 94th minute at the start of extra time when Enzo Fernández committed a dangerous foul on Pau Cubarsí, receiving a second yellow card and leaving Argentina down to ten men. Four minutes later, Lamine Yamal curled a brilliant free kick toward goal, but Martínez made a flying save to tip it out for a corner.
In the 99th minute, Spain appeared to have found the breakthrough when Nico Williams sent the ball into the back of the net. However, the goal was disallowed after the referee ruled that Mikel Merino had fouled Nicolás Otamendi in the buildup to the score.
The Spanish pressure continued to mount, and in the 106th minute, it finally culminated in a well-deserved winning goal by Ferran Torres, settling the tie deep into extra time.
Argentina, meanwhile, missed out on the chance to become only the third team in history to win back-to-back World Cups, and the first to accomplish the feat since Brazil in 1962.
For 39-year-old team captain Leo Messi, who capped off a stellar tournament with eight goals but failed to make an impact in the final, this likely marks the end of his World Cup career, finishing with a silver medal.