East Rutherford, New Jersey — Spain were crowned FIFA World Cup champions for the second time in their history after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in Sunday’s final, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute.
Luis de la Fuente’s side controlled the match from start to finish, dominating possession and creating numerous chances but were repeatedly denied by Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who produced a string of outstanding saves to keep his team in the contest.
Spain finally broke the deadlock when Nico Williams headed Pedro Porro’s cross into the path of Ferran Torres, who fired home from close range in the 106th minute to seal the historic victory.
Earlier, Nico Williams thought he had given Spain the lead just before the 100th minute, but the goal was ruled out after VAR determined that Mikel Merino had fouled Nicolás Otamendi in the build-up.
Argentina fought back after halftime and attempted to increase the pressure, but their task became even more difficult when midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off in stoppage time, forcing Lionel Messi’s side to play the entire extra-time period with 10 men.
Spain’s relentless attacking display nearly paid off on several occasions before the winner, with Martínez making a crucial save from a free-kick in the 98th minute to keep Argentina alive.
The triumph marks Spain’s second FIFA World Cup title, 16 years after their first in South Africa in 2010, when Andrés Iniesta’s famous extra-time goal secured a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.
“I’m very moved,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after the match. “Looking back and thinking about them, we’ve won everything, absolutely everything, with this generation of players. The match should have been decided much earlier, but this is a World Cup final, and you have to dig deep even against ten men. We’re prepared for anything.”
For much of the final at MetLife Stadium, Spain looked the superior side. Fresh from an impressive semifinal win over France, the European champions dictated the tempo from the opening whistle. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal came close to scoring within the first five minutes, while veteran Lionel Messi, 39, struggled to influence what could prove to be the final World Cup appearance of his illustrious career.
Despite Spain’s dominance, Argentina remained resilient thanks to Martínez, whose brilliant save from Mikel Oyarzabal late in the first half kept the score level heading into the interval.
After the final whistle, Messi acknowledged Spain’s superiority.
“They were better, to be honest,” Messi said. “We lost the game, and we accept that. That doesn’t mean we will forget everything we’ve achieved together. I’d like to thank our supporters, my teammates, and the entire country for standing by us.”
Spain’s victory caps a remarkable era under Luis de la Fuente, adding the FIFA World Cup to an already glittering list of international achievements and reaffirming La Roja’s place among football’s greatest national teams.
