World Cup 2026: Ferran Torres fires Spain past 10-man Argentina to lift second title

Spain claimed their second FIFA World Cup trophy on Sunday, overcoming a resilient 10-man Argentina with a 1-0 victory in extra time. Ferran Torres's decisive goal in the 106th minute etched Spain's name into football history, ending Argentina's reign as champions.

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I think that through this goal we were finally redeemed.

The final remained a tense, goalless affair through 90 minutes, largely due to an exceptional performance from Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. He produced a string of crucial saves, denying Spain's Lamine Yamal, Aymeric Laporte, Ferran Torres, and Nico Williams multiple times. Argentina also faced an injury setback, with Lisandro Martinez forced off before halftime.

The match's complexion shifted late in regulation when Argentina's Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card, reducing his team to 10 players. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Martinez continued his heroic efforts, thwarting Spain's attempts even into extra time. Spain thought they had a breakthrough earlier in the extra period, but Mikel Merino's goal was disallowed after a video review.

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Against Messi you are always nervous, but we always believed in ourselves.

The deadlock was finally broken when Nico Williams delivered a cross for Ferran Torres to calmly finish past Martinez. This goal marked Torres as only the second Spanish player to score in a men's World Cup final, following Andres Iniesta's iconic winner in 2010. The defeat also saw Argentina become the first team with three players sent off in a World Cup final, with Fernandez joining the list of infamy.

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I am proud, proud of this team and of this generation that has prevailed with this playing idea.