Sixteen years after their first World Cup triumph, Spain defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday night to claim their second FIFA World Cup title.
The breakthrough came early in the second half of extra time when substitute Ferran Torres reacted quickest to fire home the rebound from Nico Williams’ knockdown, securing the trophy for the European champions.
Argentina’s challenge unravelled after midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off for a second bookable offence deep into second-half stoppage time. Reduced to 10 men, the holders posed little attacking threat and failed to register a single shot, on or off target, throughout 115 minutes as Spain controlled proceedings from start to finish.
Luis de la Fuente, 65, became the oldest coach to win a World Cup, surpassing Vicente del Bosque, who was 59 when Spain lifted their first title in 2010.
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For Argentina, 39-year-old captain Lionel Messi became only the second player, after Brazil’s Cafu, to feature in three World Cup finals, and also the oldest outfield player to appear in a final.
Referee Slavko Vinčić took charge of the match, the sixth World Cup final to produce a red card.
2026 World Cup Award Winners:
Best Young Player: Pau Cubarsi(Spain)
Adidas Golden Gloves: Unai Simon (Spain)
Adidas Golden Ball: Rodri (Spain)
Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappe (France)
