By McAllen Today Staff
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Spain is back on top of men’s international soccer after substitute Ferran Torres scored in extra time to deliver a 1-0 victory over defending champion Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final Sunday.
Torres broke the deadlock in the 106th minute, collecting a bouncing ball inside the penalty area and finishing with his left foot. The goal gave Spain its second men’s World Cup title, adding to the championship it won in 2010.
The result ended Argentina’s bid to repeat as champion and denied Lionel Messi a second consecutive World Cup trophy. It also completed a remarkable run for a Spain team that arrived as the reigning European champion and built its tournament success around ball control and defense.
Spain’s pressure finally produces a goal
Spain controlled the match for long stretches but could not get past Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano MartÃnez during regulation. Spain recorded 15 shots and nine corner kicks in the first 90 minutes, while Argentina finished regulation without a shot and earned one corner, according to match statistics reported by The Associated Press.
MartÃnez made 10 saves, reported as a record for a World Cup final. One of his most important came late in regulation when he pushed away Lamine Yamal’s curling free kick and helped Argentina force extra time.
Argentina’s task became more difficult in second-half stoppage time. Midfielder Enzo Fernández received a second yellow card for a challenge on Spain defender Pau CubarsÃ, leaving the defending champions with 10 players for extra time.
Spain continued to press after the scoreless opening period of extra time. Torres, who entered as a substitute, struck at the beginning of the second 15-minute period and Spain protected the lead through the final whistle.
A second title and a tournament first
Spain’s victory made it the first country to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup titles at the same time. Spain’s women won their first global championship in 2023, while the men now have championships from 2010 and 2026.
The final was played at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford and closed the first 48-team men’s World Cup. The expanded tournament included 104 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada. A total of 308 goals were scored, according to AP’s tournament summary.
For Argentina, the defeat brought an end to a championship defense that carried the team back to the final four years after its 2022 triumph. For Spain, Torres’ first goal of the tournament became the decisive moment in the biggest match.
Soccer fans across the Rio Grande Valley followed a final featuring two of the Spanish-speaking world’s most prominent national teams. Spain’s win gives the country another place in World Cup history and closes a tournament staged largely across North America.
This independently written report was prompted by The Guardian’s Apple News coverage and fact-checked using The Guardian’s live report, Associated Press match reporting and FIFA tournament information.
