Spain outplays Messi’s Argentina and dominates in every stat except red cards to become the 2026 FIFA World Cup champions.
Spain 1—0 Argentina
The match kicked off on a clear, sunny afternoon at 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The venue was officially referred to as New York New Jersey Stadium during the tournament.
Spain controlled the game but only secured the win in extra time. They dominated with 60% possession and completed nearly twice as many passes as Argentina. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was Argentina’s best player as most of the action took place on his side of the field.
Spain created multiple chances including two from Lamine Yamal where one was deflected into the arms of Martínez and the other a free kick that required an excellent save.
Spain created 20 chances, putting 11 on target. Argentina managed only three shots, none of which were on target, none of which came from Lionel Messi, and all came in the second half or in extra time.
Argentina had not faced this level of sustained pressure at any point in this tournament and spent the game defending. To their credit they held off Spain for 106 minutes. It was in the third minute of stoppage time when things fell apart for them.
Enzo Fernández, who was already on a yellow card, made a horrendous tackle on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí which sent him flipping before landing poorly on the pitch. The Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić did not hesitate to issue Fernández a second yellow, resulting in his dismissal.
At this point Argentina had to switch its strategy as now their only hope was surviving the two 15-minute halves and hoping it would come down to penalties. This was not the case. In the 106th minute, a high cross came into the box and the only Spanish player who could reach it was Nico Williams.
Realizing he didn’t have the option of directing it toward goal as he was practically standing on the touchline, Nico headed it behind him and down for Ferran Torres. Just to the left of the penalty spot, Torres caught the ball perfectly, right before it bounced, and sent it into the roof of the net to give Spain the lead and eventual win.
From this point on, Spain possessed and played keep-away from Argentina with “Olé” being heard from fans in the background.
At the 126th minute, Vinčić blew his whistle, ending the game and securing Spain’s second FIFA World Cup title.
This win marks Spain’s second ever World Cup win and likely marked the end of Messi’s World Cup career.
Here is the breakdown of the Awards:
- Champion: Spain
- Runner-up: Argentina
- 3rd Place: England
- Young Player Award: Pau Cubarsí, Spain
- Golden Glove: Unai Simón, Spain
- Golden Ball: Rodri, Spain
- Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappé, France
- Most Assists: Michael Olise, France
As always, stay tuned to Futbolhijo.com for my next post. You can also read my previous article where I broke down Argentina’s advancement to the final.
Cover Photo: Spain are the 2026 FIFA World Cup champions. Picture of Fox’s coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
