After a gruelling Spain are finally the World Cup champions for the second time. Ferran Torres’ strike 39 seconds into the second half of extra time settled a final that Argentina had defended desperately, as La Roja completed an unbeaten tournament at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
The goal came from a Yamal corner. Torres turned in an eight-yard shot to finally break Argentina’s resistance after 106 minutes of football in which Spain had dominated entirely, finishing with 1.94 expected goals from 20 shots against Argentina’s 0.2 from just two attempts. Argentina did not register a single shot on target. Messi managed only 15 touches. His best opportunity came in the fifth minute, when Álvarez played him through on goal, only for Unai Simón to charge out and clear.
The match turned in Spain’s favour in the third minute of second-half stoppage time when Enzo Fernández was shown a second yellow card, reducing Argentina to ten men heading into extra time. Torres provided the conclusion seconds into the second period, and Spain had their title.
Messi’s Final World Cup Run
Messi has confirmed this is his last World Cup. His farewell was not the one Argentina had written for it. Having won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he leaves 2026 without the chance to become the first captain to defend the trophy, in a final where he was almost entirely anonymous.
Spain were worthy champions by every measure. They conceded just one goal across the entire tournament, won every knockout match, and produced arguably the most complete World Cup performance since Brazil in 1970. Head coach Luis de la Fuente is now unbeaten in 15 competitive matches in charge and becomes the oldest manager to win the World Cup.
Spain won Euro 2024 and the World Cup without losing a single game in either competition. The next question is whether the 2030 tournament, arriving partly on Moroccan soil, will produce a different answer.
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