FIFA World Cup Final 2026 Live Updates: Spain Beats Argentina 1-0 to Win Second World Cup Title

Spain’s Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute, leading Spain to its second World Cup title on Sunday against Argentina. This victory marks Spain’s first championship win since 2010.

Despite Spain dominating the match with 12 shots on goal, defending champion Argentina failed to register a single attempt on target. Spain’s remarkable goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, made an impressive record of 11 saves in a World Cup final. Still, he was unable to stop Torres’ powerful shot after Nico Williams headed the ball his way in extra time.

“Honestly, I didn’t think too much,” Torres said in a post-game interview with Fox. “I just saw the ball coming to me and shot with the power of all the Spanish people.”

Spain’s championship victory ended Argentina’s hopes of becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962. The stands at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium were filled with members of the 2010 Spanish team that previously won the World Cup, joining in the celebration of Spain’s triumph.

Later in extra time, Torres appeared to score again, racing toward the goal on a counterattack. He beat Martínez to find the net for an apparent 2-0 lead, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside call. This left Spain to weather a few tense minutes as Argentina finally produced two shots that threatened to equalize in the final moments.

Argentina played with 10 men for the last 30 minutes after Enzo Fernández received a second yellow card for a foul that left Spain’s Pau Cubarsí tumbling to the ground. Playing a man down further reduced Argentina’s chances, as they went the entire match without generating a shot on goal, despite Lionel Messi contributing 54 touches and just one attempt.

After the match, Lionel Messi was visibly emotional. Although he initially showed little emotion as FIFA dignitaries, including heads of state from Mexico and Canada and President Donald Trump, placed a medal around his neck, he broke down in tears when he faced the stands after Argentina’s defeat.

**2026 World Cup Award Winners:**

– **Golden Ball (Best Player):** Rodri (Spain)
– **Golden Boot (Top Scorer):** Kylian Mbappé (France) – first player to win twice
– **Golden Glove (Top Goalkeeper):** Unai Simón (Spain)
– **Best Young Player:** Pau Cubarsí (Spain)

Ferran Torres described his winning goal as a “huge sense of relief.” He commented, “In the end, all finals are difficult. And when you have Messi on the rival team, there are always nerves. But we relied on ourselves to play our style of soccer, and today we proved that again.” Torres also expressed gratitude, saying, “I thank God. He always gives me strength to keep going, and ultimately, as they say, God gives things to those who deserve it the most.”

Spain’s victory followed a similar script to their first win in 2010, when Andrés Iniesta scored in the 116th minute to secure a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands. This time, Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute, becoming only the second substitute to score the winning goal in a World Cup final.

With Argentina’s loss, we have yet to see a country defend its title successfully since Brazil did so in 1958 and 1962. Now, Spain has the opportunity to win back-to-back World Cups in 2030. Although Spain was the defending champion in 2014, they were eliminated in the group stage.

Will we see Messi in another major tournament for Argentina? Messi has indicated that this will be his final World Cup, as he will be 43 by the time the 2030 tournament rolls around. He also hinted that the 2022 World Cup would be his last. For now, there remains a possibility he could participate in the Copa America, scheduled for 2028.

**Final Score: Spain 1, Argentina 0**

Spain has claimed the 2026 FIFA World Cup title after a dominant performance in the final, concluding an undefeated tournament. Spain controlled the match throughout, not allowing a single shot on goal from Argentina. Their defense was remarkable, conceding only one goal throughout the entire World Cup. The lone goal in the final was scored by Ferran Torres in the 106th minute, breaking through while Argentina was at a numerical disadvantage.