Ferran Torres Strikes in Extra Time as Spain Beat Argentina to Win 2026 World Cup
By Jahanzaib Saiqb I SCN NEWS
Trusted • Credible • Global
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY — Spain are world champions for the second time after substitute Ferran Torres scored an extra-time winner to secure a dramatic 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Torres struck in the 106th minute at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, breaking the deadlock after Argentina had been reduced to 10 men and ending Lionel Messi's hopes of lifting the World Cup for a second consecutive tournament. The triumph gives Spain their first men's world title since their historic 2010 victory.
When and Where Did Spain Win the World Cup?
The final was played on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, bringing the expanded 48-team World Cup to a dramatic conclusion.
Spain entered the final after defeating France 2-0 in the semifinal, while Argentina reached the title match with a 2-1 victory over England.
The showdown brought together two of international football's biggest powers: a Spanish team seeking to return to the summit of world football and an Argentina side attempting to successfully defend the title it won in Qatar in 2022.
How Spain Beat Argentina
Spain controlled much of the contest but struggled to turn their pressure into a decisive goal during regulation time.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced an outstanding performance, reportedly making a World Cup final-record 12 saves as the defending champions resisted wave after wave of Spanish attacks.
But Argentina's challenge became significantly more difficult after Enzo Fernandez was sent off, leaving the South American champions with 10 players.
With the match still goalless after 90 minutes, the final moved into extra time.
Then came the decisive moment.
Torres, introduced from the bench, scored in the 106th minute with a powerful left-footed finish to finally beat Martinez and put Spain ahead.
Argentina could not find an equaliser, and the final whistle confirmed Spain as champions of the world.
Spain Become World Champions for Second Time
The victory represents a historic return to the top of international football for Spain.
Their first men's World Cup triumph came in South Africa in 2010. Sixteen years later, a new generation has delivered the country's second title.
Spain's success was built on remarkable defensive strength throughout the tournament. According to the Associated Press, the champions conceded just one goal during their entire World Cup campaign, setting a new defensive record for the competition.
The victory also created another extraordinary piece of history: Spain became the first country to simultaneously hold both the men's and women's FIFA World Cup titles, following the Spanish women's triumph in 2023.
Heartbreak for Messi and Argentina
For Argentina, the defeat ended hopes of winning consecutive World Cups.
The defending champions had arrived in New Jersey attempting to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully retain the men's World Cup.
The final also carried enormous significance for Lionel Messi, with the 2026 tournament widely expected to be his last World Cup.
Messi finally captured football's biggest prize in Qatar in 2022, but Spain denied Argentina the opportunity to repeat that achievement four years later.
Most Unique Fact
Spain won their second men's World Cup while simultaneously holding the women's World Cup crown — becoming the first nation to hold both FIFA senior world titles at the same time.
For Spain, the night in New Jersey completed a 16-year journey back to the summit of world football.
For Argentina, it marked the end of their reign as defending champions.
And for Ferran Torres, one strike in extra time secured his place in Spanish football history.