Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute, and Spain outshot Argentina 20-2 to win the World Cup final 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium.
- Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute, assisted by Nico Williams, to settle the final in extra time.
- Spain outshot Argentina 20-2 and held 68% possession, but needed 106 minutes to convert.
- Argentina finished with 10 men after Enzo Fernandez picked up a second yellow card in the 90+3 minute.
Spain is the 2026 World Cup champion. A 106th-minute goal from Ferran Torres beat Argentina 1-0 after 120 minutes at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, denying Argentina back-to-back titles.
The first 90 minutes finished scoreless despite Spain's control of the ball. Argentina absorbed pressure, limited clean chances, and pushed the game to extra time on the back of a disciplined defensive shape. That plan cracked in the 106th minute, when Nico Williams set up Torres for the goal that decided the tournament.
How the match unfolded
- Kickoff: Spain and Argentina begin the final at MetLife Stadium.
- 41' Lisandro Martinez is booked for Argentina.
- 44' Argentina make their first substitution, Nicolas Otamendi replaces Lisandro Martinez.
- 45' Halftime, Spain 0, Argentina 0.
- 46' Leandro Paredes replaces Nico Gonzalez for Argentina.
- 52' Paredes is booked.
- 58' Nahuel Molina replaces Gonzalo Montiel for Argentina.
- 62' Spain make two changes, Ferran Torres for Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedri for Fabian Ruiz.
- 70' Argentina make two changes, Facundo Medina for Cristian Romero and Giuliano Simeone for Rodrigo De Paul.
- 75' Spain make two more changes, Mikel Merino for Dani Olmo and Nico Williams for Alex Baena.
- 82' Enzo Fernandez is booked for Argentina.
- 90+2' Cristian Romero is booked.
- 90+3' Enzo Fernandez is shown a second yellow card and sent off.
- 90+9' Regulation ends, 0-0. The match goes to extra time.
- 99' Spain make their final two changes, Martin Zubimendi for Rodri and Eric Garcia for Aymeric Laporte.
- 102' Argentina makes their sixth substitution, Marcos Senesi for Julian Alvarez.
- 105' Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is booked.
- 106' Ferran Torres scores, assisted by Nico Williams. Spain leads 1-0.
- 111' Alexis Mac Allister is booked for Argentina.
- 120+6' Final whistle. Spain wins 1-0.
The goal
Torres finished the only goal of the final at New York New Jersey Stadium off a Nico Williams assist in the 106th minute, three minutes after Spain won the extra time coin toss on set pieces and momentum shifted their way following the extra time halftime break.
Match stats
| Stat | Spain | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 68% | 32% |
| Total shots | 20 | 2 |
| Shots on target | 11 | 0 |
| Shots off target | 5 | 1 |
| Shots blocked | 4 | 1 |
| Total passes | 803 | 445 |
| Accurate passes | 730 | 349 |
| Pass accuracy | 90% | 78% |
| Corners | 9 | 4 |
| Offsides | 4 | 1 |
| Fouls | 21 | 24 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 5 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 |
| Tackles won | 12 (85%) | 12 (92%) |
| Keeper saves | 0 | 10 |
| Clearances | 21 | 27 |
| Interceptions | 12 | 9 |
| Blocks | 1 | 2 |
Why Argentina held on so long
The numbers explain how a 1-0 game lasted 105 minutes. Argentina managed 2 shots the entire match and 0 on target, yet kept the score level until stoppage time of extra time. Spain's 10 saves came almost entirely from Argentina's own goalkeeper, a sign of how much of the match Spain spent camped in Argentina's half without breaking through.
Argentina's discipline record tells a different story. Five yellow cards, one red card, and a booking for head coach Lionel Scaloni show a team that leaned on fouls and physical defending to survive Spain's passing volume. Enzo Fernandez's second yellow in the 90+3 minute left Argentina to play the final 30 minutes of extra time a man down.
Substitution patterns
Spain used all 6 substitutions by the 99th minute, rotating fresh legs into midfield and attack for extra time, including Torres and Pedri at the hour mark. Argentina matched with 6 changes of its own, though the loss of Romero to a yellow card at 90+2, followed by Enzo Fernandez's red card a minute later, forced Scaloni into defensive reshuffling rather than fresh attacking options.
USA Beam takes
Spain's 20 shots to Argentina's 2 is one of the most lopsided shot counts in a men's World Cup final in recent memory, yet the match still needed 106 minutes to decide. That gap between control and conversion, and Argentina's ability to hold a heavily favored opponent scoreless for over 100 minutes with 10 men for the closing stretch, is the story of this final as much as the goal itself.
