Spain 1-0 Argentina: Ferran Torres Wins 2026 World Cup

For 106 minutes it looked like the final that would never break. Then Ferran Torres, a substitute barely 40 minutes on the pitch, swept a left-foot finish into the corner and the tournament had its champion. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife on Sunday to win the 2026 World Cup — a second star for a golden generation, and a heartbreak ending to Lionel Messi’s last dance.

What happened in Spain 1-0 Argentina?

A story in two halves of a very long night. For 105 minutes there were no goals but only one team playing: Spain had the ball, the territory and the chances, and Argentina defended for their lives. The breakthrough came at the start of the second period of extra time. Ferran Torres, introduced on 62 minutes, was in the right place to finish from close range and send the Spanish end of MetLife into delirium. Argentina, by then out on their feet and a man short, had nothing left to answer with.

How did Enzo Fernández’s red card change the final?

It shaped everything that followed. On 48 minutes, Enzo Fernández was sent off for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsí, and Argentina were reduced to ten men for more than an hour — all of the second half and the whole of extra time. Lionel Scaloni’s side, already set up to soak pressure and counter, were forced into pure survival, dropping ever deeper as Spain’s possession machine pressed for the opening. That they held out as long as they did owed almost everything to their goalkeeper.

What did Emiliano Martínez do in the final?

He almost dragged Argentina to a trophy on his own. Emiliano Martínez made 11 saves — the most any goalkeeper has managed in a World Cup final — a relentless, defiant performance that kept the scoreline blank deep into extra time. Save after save, he turned Spain away and gave Messi’s Argentina a chance they barely deserved on the balance of play. In the end even 11 saves were not enough; the twelfth shot he could not reach was Ferran Torres’, and with it went the game.

How did Messi’s last World Cup end?

In silence, and in tears. Messi, at 39, became the first player to start three World Cup finals, but Spain suffocated him: Argentina managed their first shot only in the 117th minute, a Messi effort that was blocked, and the great man never got the sight of goal his farewell deserved. “I feel sad. They were better, to be honest,” he said afterwards. He was moved to tears at the runner-up medal ceremony, an image that will define the night as much as any Spanish celebration — the last World Cup act of the tournament’s defining figure, ending in defeat.

What does the title mean for Spain?

Everything a golden generation was chasing. This is Spain’s second World Cup, their first since 2010, and it completes a set alongside their run to the final and the Euro 2024 crown they already held — the third reigning European champions ever to win the World Cup. They did it Spanish style: with the ball, with control, and with a defence that conceded just one goal across the entire tournament, the fewest by any champion. Luis de la Fuente, at 65, becomes the oldest coach to win the World Cup, and his side’s unbeaten run now stretches to 38 games, past Italy’s old men’s record.

Who won the World Cup 2026 individual awards?

Spain swept the honours their way, with one glaring exception. Rodri took the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, Unai Simón the Golden Glove, and Pau Cubarsí the Best Young Player award — a clean sweep of the team prizes for the champions. The Golden Boot, though, went the other way: Kylian Mbappé, whose brace in the third-place playoff took him to 10 goals, became the first man to win it in back-to-back World Cups, finishing two clear of Messi after the Argentine’s goalless final. Mbappé also passed Messi as the all-time World Cup top scorer along the way.

The 2026 World Cup, in one night

It ended as it was always going to: with a champion crowned and an era closing. Spain, the best team across the month, got the trophy their football merited, and Argentina — down a man for an hour, carried by a goalkeeper and a 39-year-old who had nothing left to give — went as close as ten men could. Two teams who had lit up the tournament gave it a final worthy of the occasion. For the full journey, see our knockout guide.