Spain Beat Argentina 1-0 In Extra Time to Win 2026 World Cup

Spain are world champions again after grinding down Argentina’s spoiling tactics to win 1-0 in extra time on Sunday, lifting the men’s FIFA World Cup for the second time.

Barcelona winger Ferran Torres scored the only goal of a disjointed final, breaking the deadlock in the 106th minute.

Spain dominated for most of the match, managing 20 shots to Argentina's two, yet could not find a breakthrough until extra time.

Argentina’s resistance finally cracked when midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off for two yellow cards, leaving his side to play the additional 30 minutes with 10 men.

Pedro Porro’s cross to the back post was kept alive by Nico Williams before Torres pounced to beat goalkeeper Emi Martínez.

Martínez had kept Argentina in the contest with a string of strong saves, but Spain’s persistence eventually told.

Argentina barely tested Spain’s goal all match, not managing a shot on target until the 115th minute, when Lionel Messi, playing what is widely seen as his final World Cup game, struck an effort off the head of Mikel Merino.

Scaloni Concedes As Messi’s Era Nears Its End

Tempers boiled over after the final whistle, with Argentina’s Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes reacting aggressively as players briefly scuffled.

Paredes shoved Spain’s Gavi to the ground and was sent off for the confrontation.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted afterwards that Spain deserved the win.

“They were the better side — that’s the truth — but I’ll cherish the memory of this team, of what they achieved, and of the value of making it this far,” Scaloni said, before breaking down in tears at his post-match press conference.

“We have to place immense value on this because it takes so much effort,” he added.

Messi, 39, had dragged an ageing Argentina side to the final after tough knockout games against Egypt and England, and Sunday’s defeat may have been his final World Cup appearance.

However, he was largely shut out of the game as Spain’s passing and physical duels wore his side down.

Argentina had hoped to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, but Spain proved faster and sharper on the day.

Elsewhere, England beat France 6-4 on Saturday to finish third, their best result since they won the tournament in 1966, while France forward Kylian Mbappé became the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals and claimed the Golden Boot with 10, finishing as top scorer for a second straight World Cup.

The final’s half-time show featured Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS and Coldplay alongside Brazilian greats Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, plus a tribute to the late Pelé, in the first-ever World Cup final half-time performance.

U.S. President Donald Trump praised the tournament, calling it “the most successful sporting event, maybe in the history of the world.”

The tournament, hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States, expanded from 32 to 48 teams and had faced concerns before kickoff over high prices, geopolitical tensions and summer heat, but it is set to be remembered for its football rather than its problems.

Nigerians React To Super Eagles’ Congratulatory Post

Nigerian football fans have criticised the Super Eagles after the team’s official X account congratulated Spain on the World Cup win, adding, “See you in 2030.”

The post, shared shortly after the final, quickly gathered thousands of reactions, with many fans questioning Nigeria’s chances of even qualifying for the next tournament.

Some responses were sharply sarcastic.

One user wrote, “Like say you go qualify abeg find chair go sit down,” while others said the team should focus on qualifying rather than promising to attend in 2030.

A number of fans linked the mockery to Nigeria’s recent struggles in qualification, warning that another failure would “cause problem for” the Nigeria Football Federation.

Not everyone was critical, though.

Other fans called on the team to focus on improving instead of dwelling on the backlash, with one supporter asking the squad to keep its current coach and simply follow Spain’s example.

Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after finishing second behind South Africa in their qualifying group, extending the country’s absence from the tournament to two consecutive editions following their absence from Qatar 2022.