Spain won the FIFA World Cup 2026 title by defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final. Ferran Torres scored a goal in extra time. With this defeat, Lionel Messi’s dream of defending the title was shattered. This is Spain’s second World Cup title.
new Jersey [यूएस]July 20 (ANI): “We were the better team,” Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal said after the 1-0 win over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final in New Jersey on Sunday (local time), The Athletic reports Telemundo.
Spain ended Lionel Messi’s title defense by beating Argentina 1-0 in extra time and completed an impressive unbeaten run in which La Roja conceded just one goal in eight matches.
Oyarzabal said- We were a better team
Mikel Oyarzabal said that Spain deserved to win, calling them the better team, while also admitting that the importance of winning the World Cup had not yet been fully understood.
He spoke to Telemundo, as quoted by The Athletic, “I think we’re still not aware of it and it will take time to really believe it. A complicated match — they were waiting for their moment, with their style. I think we were the better team, and we’re very happy.”
Oyarzabal said Spain remained patient and trusted their game plan, believing the goal would eventually come. He credited the team’s control over the match and highlighted the long-standing bond between players and coach as a major factor behind their World Cup victory.
He said, “We knew we were doing what needed to be done, and it was a matter of time to get the goal. We were controlling the game, and this is the result of that. The coming days will be crazy. A lot of us players have been together for 10, 12 years, sometimes even with coach (De La Fuente). It helps a lot in a long tournament like this.”
The defeat marks the end of a brilliant era for Argentina and Messi, who led his country to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title and Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024.
Torres became a hero, Spain created history
Substitute Ferran Torres emerged as the hero of the final, scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute with a powerful strike into the top of the net that beat Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
The victory sealed Spain’s second Men’s FIFA World Cup title and their first since lifting the trophy in 2010. For 19-year-old Barcelona sensation Lamin Yamal, who was just three years old during Spain’s first World Cup win, it was the biggest achievement of his young career.
Having already won UEFA Euro 2024, Spain now hold both the European and world titles, raising hopes of another impressive era like the team’s historic run between 2008 and 2012, when they won two European Championships and the FIFA World Cup.
Although Yamal scored only once during the tournament, Spain’s success was built on collective performances rather than individual talent. Midfielder Rodri controlled the game in the middle of the field, Mikel Oyarzabal finished among the tournament’s top scorers with five goals, while goalkeeper Unai Simon earned the Golden Glove after a series of spectacular performances.
Torres also entered the record books by becoming only the fifth substitute to score in a FIFA World Cup finals and the first since Germany’s Mario Gotze scored the winning goal against Argentina in the 2014 final. He also became the second Barcelona player to score a goal in a World Cup final, after Andrés Iniesta’s extra-time winner for Spain in 2010.
Spain’s unbeaten campaign in the tournament
Spain’s title run began with a goalless draw against surprise package Cape Verde before impressive wins over Saudi Arabia (4-0) and Uruguay (1-0) to top Group H. They then defeated Austria 3–0 in the Round of 32, Portugal 1–0 in the Round of 16, Belgium 2–1 in the quarter-finals and France 2–0 in the semi-finals.
Argentina helpless in the final, played the match with 10 players
In the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium, Spain dominated possession and limited Argentina to just one shot on target, while registering 12 shots themselves. Argentina were also reduced to 10 players in extra time when Enzo Fernandez was sent off after two yellow cards, helping Spain secure victory and regain the World Cup crown. (ANI)
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