Spain have been crowned champions of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Argentina 1-0 in a tense final that was decided in extra time on Sunday.
The thrilling encounter, played at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, saw both teams battle fiercely for more than 100 minutes before Spain finally broke the deadlock.
Ferran Torres emerged as the hero for La Roja, scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute of extra time to hand Spain their second FIFA World Cup title, adding to the trophy they won in South Africa in 2010.
Argentina, the defending champions, put up a spirited fight and were kept in the contest largely through the brilliance of goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who produced several outstanding saves to deny the Spanish attack during regulation time.
The South American side suffered a major setback late in normal time when midfielder Enzo Fernández was shown a red card, forcing Argentina to play with 10 men for the remainder of the contest.
Spain controlled much of the possession and created the better scoring opportunities before eventually finding the breakthrough in extra time. The victory capped an impressive tournament for the European side, who overcame several top nations on their way to lifting football’s biggest prize.
For Argentina, the defeat marked the end of their reign as world champions after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Spain’s triumph sparked celebrations across the country as players, coaching staff and supporters celebrated a memorable World Cup campaign that ended with football’s most coveted trophy returning to Madrid for the first time in 16 years.
