European champions Spain dethroned Argentina to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Ferran Torres’ solitary goal securing a hard-fought victory in an entertaining final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Spain took control from the opening whistle and dominated the first half, but failed to make their superiority count despite creating several clear chances, including a close effort from Mikel Oyarzabal in the 39th minute.

The second half resumed with Spain still being the better team, but the Argentines managed to keep them at bay. Their structure was disrupted in stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card after clattering into Pau Cubarsi. 

The closest chance in the second half came just before the end of normal time when Lamine Yamal forced goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into a save with a free kick from the edge of the box, sending the match into extra time. 

Argentina failed to register a single shot on target, while Spain unleashed 15 attempts, 10 of which tested Martinez, underscoring the European champions’ complete dominance by the end of regulation time. 

Torres finally broke the deadlock in the second half of extra time when he fired a header from Nico Williams into the roof of the net to secure the deserved victory for Spain. 

The grand finale also featured the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show, with musical performances by Afrobeats star Burna Boy, Colombian singer Shakira, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, and South Korean boy band BTS.

The victory marked La Roja’s second World Cup triumph after first winning the tournament at the 2010 edition in South Africa. Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the final of that tournament.