Spain has won the 2026 FIFA World Cup title by defeating Argentina 1-0. Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute of extra time. This is Spain’s second World Cup title and Argentina lost in the final.
Spain’s Ferran Torres dedicated his FIFA World Cup winning goal to the people of Spain. His goal in extra-time helped the team win 1-0 over Argentina in the 2026 final. He said that this victory is for the entire country.
Speaking after the match, quoted by FIFA, Torres said that the decisive goal was not just his or the team’s, but a reward for the millions of Spaniards supporting the team from home. “This goal was for 47 million people; it wasn’t just me or the 26 players present here. I believe today’s result was written in the stars; this was a match for us to win, we were away from our people, but we did our best to make them feel as close as possible,” Torres said.
Reflecting on the challenge of facing Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina in the final, Torres acknowledged the pressure, but credited Spain’s commitment to their playing style. “All finals are difficult – the nerves are always higher when Messi is in the opposition – but ultimately we always stuck to our strategy, played our brand of football, and I think we showed that once again today,” he said.
Torres’ goal made Spain champion
Talking about the match, Spain defeated defending champions Argentina 1–0 after extra time to win their second FIFA World Cup title. Substitute player Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute on a header assist from Nico Williams. Despite making 12 saves, Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez could not stop Torres’ shot. Spain kept possession of the ball and created most of the chances, while Argentina failed to get a single shot off during normal time and were reduced to 10 players after Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card at the end of regulation time.
Spain’s victory completed an unbeaten World Cup campaign and added the 2026 world title to their UEFA Euro 2024 triumph.
Many new records made in the final
During the match, Spain’s Lamin Yamal and Pau Coubertin, both 19 years old, became the fourth and fifth teenagers to play in a FIFA World Cup final. He joins Brazil’s Pelé (17 in 1958), Italy’s Giuseppe Bergomi (18 in 1982), and France’s Kylian Mbappe (19 in 2018) on the list, with all five being part of winning teams.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi also set a new record by becoming the oldest outfield player to play in a FIFA World Cup final at the age of 39 years and 25 days. He overtook Sweden’s Gunnar Gren, who was 37 years and 241 days old when he played against Brazil in the 1958 final. The 2026 final was also Messi’s third appearance in a FIFA World Cup final, having previously played in the 2014 and 2022 editions. He became only the second player to achieve the feat after Brazilian legend Cafu, who played in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 finals.
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