Spain Wins 2026 World Cup on Torres Extra-Time Goal

Sport

By lines

July 20, 2026

Illustration of an anonymous soccer player striking a ball, marking Spain's 2026 World Cup win

Spain won the 2026 World Cup on Sunday, beating Argentina 1-0 at MetLife Stadium. Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the 106th minute of extra time. The strike denied Lionel Messi a second World Cup title at age 39.

Ferran Torres Sinks Argentina in Extra Time

Torres finished after Nico Williams nodded a cross back across the six-yard box. The goal arrived in the 106th minute in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Argentina had already lost midfielder Enzo Fernandez to a red card. The referee dismissed Enzo Fernandez for a reckless foul on Pau Cubarsi. Argentina then played the closing stretch a man down. Spain protected the 1-0 lead until the final whistle.

Spain conceded only one goal across the entire tournament. No previous World Cup champion has allowed fewer. Luis de la Fuente’s side played eight matches, more than any past winner. Goalkeeper Unai Simon won the Golden Glove behind that record defense. Spain also arrived as reigning European champions from Euro 2024.

Individual awards followed Spain’s grip on the final. Rodri claimed the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. Messi finished second in that vote at age 39. France’s Kylian Mbappe took the Golden Boot with 10 goals. Mbappe became the first player to win that scoring prize twice. Pau Cubarsi, still 19, earned Young Player of the Tournament.

The result reshapes soccer’s longest-running greatness debate. Messi now owns one World Cup title from two final appearances. Messi lifted the trophy in 2022 and lost in 2026. Spain now holds the World Cup and the European crown together. De la Fuente, 65, became the oldest coach to win the tournament. Messi still leaves with 21 career World Cup goals, a men’s record.

The final capped the first World Cup staged across three host countries. Resale get-in prices for the final reached $10,000 before kickoff. FIFA presented championship rings to Spain after the trophy ceremony. Spain’s squad then flew home to a mass celebration in Madrid. Messi embraced Spain’s Lamine Yamal in a symbolic moment afterward.

Attention now turns to what comes next for both nations. Messi has not said whether Argentina keeps its captain at age 39. Spain’s core stays young, led by Cubarsi and winger Lamine Yamal. The 2026 World Cup was the first edition to feature 48 teams. That tournament spanned the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The next World Cup lands in 2030 across Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.