NEW YORK: Spain defeated South American giants Argentina 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup final at New Jersey Stadium on Sunday night to lift the World Cup trophy for the second time, ending a 16-year wait. Spain had previously won their maiden FIFA World Cup title in 2010.
Against defending champions Argentina, Spain displayed remarkable self-belief, confidence, aggression, defensive discipline, patience and exceptional teamwork from start to finish. Unlike Argentina, who relied heavily on Lionel Messi for goals, Spain did not depend on any single superstar. Argentina’s over-reliance on Messi ultimately proved costly as they failed to score and settled for the runners-up trophy despite an outstanding campaign until the semi-finals. The tournament is widely expected to have been Messi’s final FIFA World Cup, and the legendary captain signed off with tears in his eyes.
2010 Repeated in 2026
Substitute Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute, producing the decisive goal that sealed Spain’s World Cup triumph. It echoed Spain’s historic 2010 victory in South Africa, when Andrés Iniesta netted the winning goal in the 116th minute against the Netherlands to secure the nation’s first-ever World Cup title.
Argentina were reduced to 10 men in the 93rd minute after Fernández received his second yellow card, resulting in a red card. The defending champions struggled badly in attack throughout the final and managed their first shot on target only in the 117th minute.
Spain dominated possession for most of the match, enjoying 65 percent of the ball compared to Argentina’s 35 percent.
The 2022 champions missed the opportunity to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles.
Final Highlights…
(1) Messi had just two touches in the opening 20 minutes of the final, something that had never happened to him in a FIFA World Cup match before. Spain’s players successfully kept him away from the ball throughout the contest.
(2) Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez made two outstanding saves in the first half to deny Spain’s forwards. Earlier, Lisandro Martínez became the first player in the final to receive a yellow card.
(3) Messi had a half-chance to score in the 37th minute. From that point onward, Spain maintained relentless psychological pressure on the Argentine captain.
(4) Both teams were locked at 0-0 at half-time.
(5) Argentina’s Leandro Paredes was shown a yellow card in the second half.
(6) Argentina failed to find their rhythm until the 70th minute. During this period, Spain consistently controlled between 60 and 65 percent possession. Despite Spain’s sustained attacking pressure until the 85th minute, Argentina’s defence remained resilient.
(7) Messi had scored a hat-trick against Brazil at the same New York venue in 2012. However, he was unable to find the net in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain.
(8) Spain averaged one shot on target every five minutes in the second half, but Emiliano Martínez produced a series of superb saves to keep Argentina in the contest.
(9) Spain dominated the regulation 90 minutes, with 10 of their 15 shots on target. Argentina’s 2022 World Cup hero Emiliano Martínez prevented several goals with brilliant goalkeeping. In contrast, Argentina failed to register a single shot on target during normal time.
(10) A record 48 nations participated in the 23rd FIFA World Cup, with a total of 104 matches played.
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