Spain Wins 2026 World Cup After Extra-Time Goal Against Argentina
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., July 20, 2026 – Spain are world champions for the second time after defeating defending champion Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Ferran Torres scored the winner in the 106th minute at New York New Jersey Stadium, finishing after Nico Williams headed down a Pedro Porro cross. FIFA described Spain as controlling the final from start to finish, while Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez kept his team alive with a series of saves before the breakthrough.
The win gives Spain its second men’s World Cup title after 2010 and adds to a remarkable era for Spanish football. AP reported that Spain became the first country to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup titles at the same time, following the women’s triumph in 2023.
The final also carried emotional weight for Argentina because it was widely expected to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup appearance. Spain denied Argentina a second consecutive title and ended the tournament with a defensive record that underlined its control throughout the competition.
Celebrations began in Madrid on Monday, with the squad received by Spain’s royal family before planned public events in the capital. The national moment echoes the 2010 triumph, but this team has added a modern chapter built on collective pressure, depth and tactical continuity.
Why it matters
The result resets the top of international football. Spain now holds a rare combined men’s and women’s world-champion status and has built a case as the defining national-team program of the current era.
What happens next
Spain will move from celebrations to the next cycle as champions, while Argentina begins a transition after a final that may close Messi’s World Cup career.
