Who Won FIFA World Cup 2026 Final: Lionel Messi’s dream of winning the FIFA World Cup has been shattered. Know the 5 big blunders of Argentina, due to which the team lost and the turning points of the match.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Final: In the final of FIFA World Cup 2026, millions of fans were hoping that Lionel Messi would lead his team to another historic trophy. But this could not happen. In a thrilling match played at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 by scoring a goal in the 106th minute of extra time and won the World Cup. Spain’s dominance was clearly visible throughout the match. Argentina made some decisions and mistakes, which Spain took advantage of till the end. Let us know those 5 big blunders, which snatched the FIFA World Cup from Messi and Argentina.
Overreliance on Lionel Messi
Captain Lionel Messi, who was the backbone of Argentina throughout this tournament, got badly trapped in Spain’s maze in the final. Spain’s defenders and midfield kept Messi so confined that in the first 15 minutes of the match, Messi was able to touch the ball only once. Before this match, Messi, who had scored 8 goals in the tournament, had only 0.04 xG (Expected Goals) in this match. Messi could not make even a single ‘key pass’ in the entire match. When Messi became silent, the entire team looked helpless.
Spain’s Midfield Dominance
The biggest reason for Argentina’s defeat was Spain’s midfield, which dictated the tempo of the game in the finals as well as in the entire tournament. Spain’s midfielders did not give Argentina a chance to gain a foothold. Spain not only passed the ball quickly, but also excelled in ball-winning traits from Argentina’s players. Argentina’s midfield proved completely ineffective.
That one red card of Enzo Fernandez (Enzo Fernandez’s Red Card)
When the match was at its most critical, Argentina shot itself in the foot. In injury time (90+3 minutes) of the second half, Enzo Fernandez made a very poor and uncontrolled challenge on Pau Quibarsi. Without any delay, the referee showed Enzo a second yellow card and gave him a ‘red card’. Firstly, facing a dangerous team like Spain (who had conceded only 1 goal in the entire tournament) and on top of that, playing in extra time with 10 players proved to be suicidal for Argentina. Taking advantage of this, Ferran Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in the 106th minute.
Lisandro Martínez’s injury spoiled the game (Lisandro Martínez Injury)
In this World Cup, the pair of Lisandro Martínez and Christian Romero remained the wall of Argentina’s defense. But just before half-time Lisandro Martínez was ruled out with injury. With Martínez out, coach Lionel Scaloni fielded 38-year-old veteran Nicolas Otamendi. Otamendi played only one match in this tournament, that too in the group stage. As soon as Martínez’s ball-carrying ability ended, Argentina’s defense was completely off balance, which Spain took advantage of.
Argentina attack: 90 minutes, 0 shots on target
Before the final, Argentina had scored the maximum number of 19 goals in the tournament. But that dangerous attack of Argentina became a ‘wet cat’ in front of Spain. The Argentine team could not take a single shot on target in the stipulated 90 minutes (Regulation Time). In the entire 120 minutes of play, Argentina could take only 2 shots, while Spain took 20 shots, 12 of which were on target. Spain’s xG was 1.94, while Argentina’s was just 0.17! These figures show that Spain fully deserved this victory.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Winner FAQs
Who won the Argentina vs Spain final?
Spain won the FIFA World Cup 2026 title by winning 1-0 in extra time.
Who scored the winning goal for Spain?
Ferran Torres scored the only and decisive goal of the match in the 106th minute of extra time.
What was the biggest reason for Argentina’s defeat?
Over-dependence on Messi, Spain’s dominance in the midfield, Enzo Fernandez’s red card, Lisandro Martínez’s injury and weak attack were the major reasons for the team’s defeat.
Could Messi score a goal in the final?
No. Due to Spain’s strong marking, Messi could not make an impact in the entire match.