Spain Beat Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup Title

Spain won the 2026 World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in a tense final at the New York New Jersey Stadium, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in extra time to secure Spain’s second world title.

Torres broke the deadlock in the 106th minute, collecting substitute Nico Williams’ header and firing past Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez from close range. The goal came after a scrappy encounter that failed to live up to its billing, with the match descending into a war of attrition littered with interruptions and a 27-minute half-time interval featuring performances from Madonna, Justin Bieber and Shakira. US President Donald Trump also flew in by helicopter to attend the showpiece.

The match turned decisively in Spain’s favour in stoppage time when Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez, who had already been booked, received a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. Argentina played the entirety of extra time with 10 men, and they could not hold out against the European champions. Argentina keeper Martinez had been their hero throughout the tournament, and he prevented Spain from scoring a winner in the final seconds of normal time with a superb save from Lamine Yamal’s free-kick. He was in action again with another crucial stop from Williams’ header, but he could do nothing about Torres’ close-range strike.

Spain dominated the statistics, registering 20 shots compared to Argentina’s two, with 12 on target while Argentina failed to register a single shot on goal. Spain enjoyed 65.1 per cent possession and had 32 touches inside the opposition box against Argentina’s eight. The match was characterised by Argentina’s spoiling tactics, with the defending champions committing 25 fouls and receiving four yellow cards compared to Spain’s 21 fouls and no bookings.

READ MORE: SERAP Threatens to Sue Nigeria’s National Assembly Over ‘Backdoor’ Social Media Bill

The final proved to be a sad farewell for Argentina’s 39-year-old icon Lionel Messi, who was unable to influence events. The eight-goal tournament top scorer was well marshalled by Spain, having only one shot which was not on target, kept well away from dangerous areas. After the match, an emotional Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni broke down in tears at his news conference when asked whether this was Messi’s last game. “It is very painful, I am very sorry,” said Scaloni before leaving the room. He later said: “We need to attach a great deal of value to what we have done. We are big in victory and we must be big in defeat. Today we showed that we know how to lose.”

For Spain, the victory marks a historic achievement. They become the first nation in football history to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup titles simultaneously, with the women’s side also reigning European champions. Spain’s 19-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal became the third-youngest player to appear in a World Cup final, after Pele in 1958 and Giuseppe Bergomi in 1982. Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart hailed his performance: “Lamine Yamal, 19 years old. He had the entire team trying to smash him. He just stayed real cool. A real standout performance from him today. He has completed football.”

Ugly scenes followed the final whistle as Argentina’s Leandro Paredes threw punches at Spain players, adding to the tension of a dour final that never achieved any fluency. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente guided his team with commendable calm, leading them to victory just two years after they beat England in the Euro 2024 final. Spain will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco, and with a plethora of young talent at their disposal, the future looks bright for La Roja.

About The Author

West Africa Weekly

author

See author's posts