Spain are crowned 2026 FIFA World Cup champions after Ferran Torres’ extra-time strike sealed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina in New Jersey, Softfootball reports.
La Roja dominated possession and created the better chances throughout, but Emiliano Martínez produced a series of outstanding saves to keep Argentina in the contest. The turning point came late in normal time when Enzo Fernández was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, leaving Lionel Scaloni’s side to play extra time with 10 men.
Argentina, playing in Lionel Messi’s final World Cup appearance, struggled to threaten and failed to register a shot on target. Their frustrations boiled over after the final whistle, with Leandro Paredes also seeing red following a confrontation as tempers flared.
The victory gives Spain their second men’s World Cup title, while Argentina surrender the trophy after a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful title defence as England also claimed third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging France 6-4 in a spectacular 10-goal thriller in Miami
Player Ratings
Spain
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Unai Simon | 6 |
| Marc Cucurella | 7 |
| Aymeric Laporte | 7.5 |
| Pau Cubarsi | 8 |
| Pedro Porro | 7.5 |
| Rodri (Man of the Match) | 8.5 |
| Fabian Ruiz | 7 |
| Dani Olmo | 7 |
| Alex Baena | 6.5 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | 6.5 |
| Lamine Yamal | 7.5 |
| Pedri (Sub) | 6 |
| Ferran Torres (Sub) | 7.5 |
| Mikel Merino (Sub) | 6 |
| Nico Williams (Sub) | 7 |
| Eric Garcia (Sub) | 5 |
| Martin Zubimendi (Sub) | 6 |
Argentina
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Emiliano Martínez | 8 |
| Nicolás Tagliafico | 6.5 |
| Lisandro Martínez | 6 |
| Cristian Romero | 6.5 |
| Gonzalo Montiel | 6 |
| Nicolás González | 6 |
| Alexis Mac Allister | 6 |
| Enzo Fernandez | 5 |
| Rodrigo De Paul | 5.5 |
| Julian Alvarez | 6 |
| Lionel Messi | 6 |
| Nicolás Otamendi (Sub) | 6 |
| Leandro Paredes (Sub) | 6 |
| Nahuel Molina (Sub) | 6 |
| Facundo Medina (Sub) | 6 |
| Giuliano Simeone (Sub) | 6 |
| Marcos Senesi (Sub) | 6 |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Spain | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| Ball possession | 66% | 34% |
| Attempts | 15 | 0 |
| On target | 10 | 0 |
| Corners | 9 | 1 |
| Offsides | 2 | 1 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 5 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 |
| Passes | 583 | 268 |
