Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time to become 2026 World Champions. Ferran Torres' 106th-minute goal delivered Spain their second title. We break down the key moments of a historic final.
# Spain Are World Champions 2026! How the Historic Final Against Argentina Unfolded
The wait is over — Spain are 2026 World Champions, beating Argentina in the final 1-0 in extra time. It is Spain's second World Cup title in history — the first came back in 2010.
The final delivered exactly what a World Cup final should: ninety minutes of tense battle, a red card in stoppage time, and a decisive moment in extra time that settled the fate of the trophy.
Argentina held on heroically. Regular time ended goalless, but in the 90+3rd minute Argentina were reduced to ten men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card — right in the most decisive stretch of the match.
Spain kept pressing throughout extra time, and in the 106th minute, substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal, setting the final score at 1-0. Spain's national team did not allow Argentina a single shot on target for the entire match — the defense performed flawlessly from the first minute to the last.
For Lionel Messi, this final closed the book on his World Cup story — by his own words, this was his last World Cup. The Argentine legend managed just 15 touches the entire match — Spain's defense never let him get going. His best chance came in the 5th minute when Julián Álvarez played him through one-on-one with the keeper, but Spain's Unai Simón beat him to the ball.
History repeated itself: Messi had already hinted the 2022 final might be his last — yet he returned for one more tournament. This time, the farewell did not go the way Argentina had hoped.
This title was the natural result of a flawless tournament. Spain went through the entire World Cup without a single loss, starting their campaign with a draw against tournament debutants Cape Verde and steadily building momentum toward the final. Coach Luis de la Fuente set a record, becoming the oldest manager to win a World Cup, and remained unbeaten with the national team (14 wins and one draw).
The final's statistics are just as striking: Spain posted 1.94 expected goals (xG) against Argentina's 0.2 — numbers that reflect total dominance throughout the match.
The final's halftime broke new ground on its own — the first true Super Bowl-style show in World Cup history. Shakira, Madonna, BTS and Justin Bieber took the stage, and the performance closed with a children's choir from a Staten Island school joined by Coldplay's Chris Martin — fireworks and a roaring crowd bringing it home.
Across pubs and sports bars in Chisinau, this final was watched by packed houses — the atmosphere of big football united fans of both teams for one unforgettable evening. Nights like this at venues around the city can always be found on around.md — the next big match is not far off, and the best spots with broadcasts will be waiting again.
Thank you for an incredible tournament, World Cup. See you again in four years.