Spain have won the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating defending champions Argentina 1–0 in a tense final at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford.
Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute of extra time, finishing a move created by Pedro Porro and Nico Williams after the match had remained goalless throughout normal time. Argentina were reduced to ten men shortly before extra time after Enzo Fernández was sent off.
Despite the narrow scoreline, Spain dominated the final, controlling possession and restricting Argentina to almost no meaningful opportunities. The victory secured Spain’s second World Cup title, sixteen years after Andrés Iniesta’s extra-time winner delivered the country’s first triumph against the Netherlands in Johannesburg in 2010.
Celebrations erupted across Spain at the final whistle, with supporters flooding public squares, streets and bars in Madrid and other cities. The victory denied Argentina the opportunity to become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup and ended Lionel Messi’s hopes of winning consecutive titles after Argentina’s triumph in Qatar in 2022.
Spain’s victory completed an extraordinary period of dominance for its national teams. Luis de la Fuente’s side finished the tournament having conceded only one goal, extended its unbeaten international run to 38 matches and made Spain the first country to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup titles simultaneously following the women’s team’s victory in 2023.
The expanded 48-team tournament also produced several unexpected performances. England returned to the semi-finals for the fourth time in their history and appeared close to reaching their first final since 1966 after taking the lead against Argentina. Two late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez, however, overturned the match and sent the reigning champions into the final.
Cape Verde produced one of the tournament’s most remarkable campaigns. Competing at their first World Cup, the island nation pushed Argentina into extra time during the round of 32 and twice came from behind before eventually losing 3–2 through a late own goal. Their resistance against the defending champions transformed the Blue Sharks into one of the tournament’s most celebrated underdogs.
The World Cup was also overshadowed by yet another FIFA scandal, this time involving US President Donald Trump. The Us President publicly acknowledged that he personally contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked FIFA to cancel the red card issued to US striker Folarin Balogun during the victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
FIFA subsequently suspended Balogun’s automatic one-match ban for a probationary period of one year, allowing him to play against Belgium.
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