EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, July 19, 2026 – Spain claimed their second World Cup title after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina in the final held in New Jersey.

The decisive moment came early in the second half of extra time when substitute Ferran Torres scored on the rebound, firing past Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Argentina had been reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time.

Argentina struggled offensively throughout the match, failing to register a shot on or off target for 115 minutes. Their captain, 39-year-old Lionel Messi, became only the second player to appear in three World Cup finals and was the oldest outfield player to feature in a final.

Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente, aged 65, became the oldest World Cup-winning coach.

Following a record 104 matches in the tournament, France 24's team provided analysis of the game and the overall competition.

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