Argentina never managed a shot in normal time in the 2026 final
Spain did not break through in the 2026 World Cup final until extra time, when Ferran Torres converted a Nico Williams header to beat Argentina 1–0. The holders, reduced to ten men after Enzo Fernández was sent off, could not muster one attempt at goal across the first 90 minutes, something no finalist had suffered before.
The two sides met on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, before 80,663 spectators, with Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia refereeing. Never before had a World Cup final brought together two reigning continental champions who also held the top two places in the FIFA ranking: Spain owned the 2024 European Championship and Argentina the Copa América. A Finalissima between them, planned for Qatar in March 2026, had been cancelled because of the Iran war. Spain arrived on a 37-match unbeaten run, level with Italy's all-time men's record.
Spain's path began in Group H with a goalless draw against Cape Verde, followed by wins over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. In the knockouts they beat Portugal and Belgium by a single goal each before a 2–0 semifinal victory over France in Dallas. Argentina took maximum points from Group J and then won four knockout ties, ending England's run in the last four. Their coach, Lionel Scaloni, was bidding to join Vittorio Pozzo, who led Italy to titles in 1934 and 1938, as a two-time winning manager.
The match itself was largely one-way. Spain kept the ball and kept shooting, and Emiliano Martínez kept stopping them; his 11 saves were the most by any goalkeeper in a final. Fernández's second-half dismissal left Argentina stretched, and the score stayed 0–0 until Torres, later named man of the match, struck in the added half hour. Argentina wasted several late chances to level, and the players brawled after the whistle.
The result gave Spain a second crown, ending a wait that went back to their 2010 win over the Netherlands in Johannesburg, and made it the first nation to be women's and men's world champion together, following the 2023 women's triumph. Only once before, in 1930 between Uruguay and Argentina, had two Spanish-speaking countries contested the final, and with Spain and Argentina co-hosting in 2030, either winner would become the first holder to host the next edition. The occasion also featured the first halftime show at a World Cup final, stretching the interval past 27 minutes against IFAB protocol.
Source: 2026 FIFA World Cup final
