Spain’s World Cup triumph confirmed what its soccer had been saying all along

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The images were striking:

Lionel Messi, tears streaking down his cheeks after surely the last of his six World Cups, joining his Argentine teammates at one end of the field, comforted in their abject sadness by diehard supporters continuing to chant behind the goal.

Meantime, in the middle of MetLife Stadium’s worn pitch, beaming Spanish players took turns receiving championship medals before gathering on stage to await captain Rodri, the Golden Ball recipient, for the trophy celebration.

Spain was clearly the better team Sunday, but it took Ferran Torres’ goal in the 106th minute to prevail against a wounded defending champion that played with courage but without much hope of winning.

The 1-0 triumph was grueling for both players and spectators. It took 120 minutes for the finest team over these 39 wondrous days in 16 venues across North America to reap the rewards.

“This is a generation that’s making history,” Rodri said, “but also in the way we did it.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JULY 19: Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain lifts the FIFA World Cup Winner's Trophy after the team's victory following the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) — Lamine Yamal lifts the World Cup trophy after Spain capped a dominant tournament with the sport’s biggest prize.
(Carl Recine via Getty Images)

How’d they do it? By conceding one measly goal over 750 minutes in eight matches, controlling the ball as if no one else was on the field and reducing an Argentine bulldozer, driven by Messi, into a manual lawnmower.

The only way Spain was going to lose, especially after Argentina was reduced to 10 men late in regular time, is if it were dragged into a shootout — the way Argentina’s victory over France four years ago in Qatar was decided.

La Roja avoided that by scoring in the first minute of the second half of extra time, then surviving two late scares.

Deservedly, a second world championship belonged to Spain. And it came in eerily similar fashion as the 2010 title in South Africa, when Andrés Iniesta scored in extra time to defeat 10-man Netherlands, 1-0. (Iniesta attended Sunday’s match with his family.)

Torres, one of eight FC Barcelona players on Spain’s roster, became the second substitute to score a winning goal in a World Cup final. Germany’s Mario Götze, in 2014, was the first; he too did it against Argentina.

“I just saw the ball coming to me and I just shot with the power of all the Spanish people,” the 26-year-old midfielder said.

It was the breakthrough the capacity crowd and billions watching around the planet was waiting for, pleading for, begging for, praying for. No one wanted penalty kicks to decide the championship.

To that point, though, Spain’s superiority had not translated into a lead.

“If there was a team that could manage to go all the way with the match still undecided,” Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said, “it was us.”

Indeed, Argentina had persevered in knockout match after knockout match, outlasting Cape Verde and Switzerland in extra time and coming from behind late to oust Egypt and England.

But those matches weren’t against an opponent as disciplined as Spain, which showed its quality throughout the match. The issue, though, was its failure to shoot with greater imagination and precision. Argentina’s Emi Martínez set a record for a World Cup final with 11 saves, though only a few were difficult.

Entering extra time, coach Luis de la Fuente addressed his players.

“I just said, ‘Look, we are doing a great job. The match is controlled, but this is a final, and we are up against Argentina. If we are not careful, we might concede a goal.’ We kept our focus until the last minute.”

Messi and Argentina did not produce a shot on goal — a remarkable statistic given an attacking firepower that had recorded 19 goals in seven matches and featured the little wizard, who, at 39, continues to defy his age.

The victory swelled Spain’s unbeaten streak to 38 and capped an extraordinary run that included the 2023 Nations League and 2024 European Championship titles, as well as the 2025 Nations League second-place trophy, decided in a shootout. Spain’s under-23 squad won the 2024 Olympic gold medal.

Spain can now claim to be the best not only on the men’s side, but the women’s as well after they captured their first crown at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“We have grown together,” de la Fuente said. “We’ve reached this stage thanks to [the players’] talents, to their attitude, to their commitment, to their values and to their huge talent. This team has a long way to go, so we are already thinking about what is coming next.”

The future is bright, indeed. Spain started two teenagers, the acclaimed winger Lamine Yamal and center back Pau Cubarsí, who was voted the best young player in the tournament.

Unai Simon, 29, won the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper, though he did not have a whole lot to do throughout the competition. Rodri, the 30-year-old Manchester City midfielder who sets the tone, organizes the defense and eloquently runs the attack, was the deserving winner of the Golden Ball as the World Cup’s MVP.

As for Argentina, there were tears but immense pride about returning to the final.

“We feel extremely grateful to all our fans, all those people who transmitted us that energy we were lacking,” Scaloni said. “In the end, [Spain] deserved the victory. That’s reality. We need to accept it. But we were close.”

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