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Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in one of the most one-sided World Cup finals in history. From Ferran Torres' heroics to Lionel Messi's last dance, here are the player ratings as Luis de la Fuente's side claimed their second star...Argentina literally didn't have a shot until the 117th minute. Probably got a nice tan and certainly got his hands on the trophy.Was a consistent threat making runs off Lamine Yamal. It was his cross that eventually sparked the opener - a pinpoint delivery to Williams at the back post.Played with maturity beyond his years. There wasn't much to do in terms of stopping Argentina, but he consistently remained calm whenever a threat was apparent. World Cup winner and Young Player of the Tournament.Had nothing to do defensively. Had a half chance late in normal time but couldn't make enough purchase with his header.Much like at the Euros two years ago, Cucurella raised his stock this summer and continued it with another fine performance at both ends of the pitch.The midfield general. Kept the game ticking in Spain's favour. Brought off in extra-time which considering is understandable given the risk playing beyond 90 minutes will have with his injury history.Spain 1-0 Argentina: Match report & reaction from World Cup final89 per cent pass completion and two chances created. A solid if not remarkable performance from the PSG man before his removal just after an hour.Was this the day he took the crown from King Messi? Not quite. The teenage superstar was targetted and kept quiet, but he will accept that given the result.For all of Spain's possession, it didn't quite happen for Olmo. Not a lot happening in front of him in truth, so it was hard to pull the strings.Whether it was Montiel or Molina, the Argentina right-backs were there to be got at. Baena combined well with Cucurella, but the introduction of Williams to add more pace made perfect sense.He was the only one to trouble Martinez in the first-half, but as is often the case, was sacrificed so Spain could go with an alternative approach up top.A moment he will never forget. A truly brilliant piece of composure and quality when it mattered most. His team-mates struggled to show it, but Ferran Torres had it in abundance. Forever to be the man who won the 2026 World Cup.Looked smart on the ball and brought a little more energy in midfield than Fabian Ruiz.His moment looked like it came in extra-time as he got on the end of a cross just outside the six-yard box. The net should've bulged, but the super-sub missed his mark and chance to be a hero.The substitute was brought on to make an impact, and thought he made the biggest one when he bundled the ball home for an extra-time opener only for it to be controversially ruled out. However, he had his moment by grabbing the assist for the winner with a smart nod back to Torres.Half of his game time was spent doing things he wasn't brought on to do as Argentina pressed for a late equaliser. Not at Rodri's level but fresh legs at an important time.Argentina were throwing the kitchen sink at Spain and Garcia added an extra defensive body to see the game out.He started assured but as the game went on, Martinez grew shakier. There were a number of straightforward saves that he fumbled. He recovered his composure though, producing important saves to keep Argentina in it late on and into extra-time. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't enough.Struggled going forward and often couldn't keep up with the overlapping movement of Cucurella down the other end. Nothing on his World Cup winning moment four years ago.Had a lot of defending to do and with Martinez coming off just before half-time, he managed well next to Otamendi for the most part before limping off on 70 minutes.Maybe a tad harsh as he didn't do anything egregiously wrong, but received a booking and was off injured all before half-time.Marshalled Lamine Yamal about as well as he could've done. The teenager certainly didn't do anything of note and that's a credit to the Argentina left-back.Struggled to get a grip of the midfield battle with Rodri and Ruiz playing him off the park.Sat back with the rest of Argentina and wasn't able to show what he was capable of in possession. Hampered by their approach to the game rather than his individual efforts.His absolutely stupid tackle in stoppage time on Cubarsi, having already been booked for talking back to the referee, put his team completely on the back foot going into extra time. They were already under the cosh, he made it worse.Actually looked a threat when he had the opportunity to take the ball forward, but was withdrawn at half-time as Argentina looked far more defensive stability.If this is the end for Lionel Messi, it wasn't how he would've dreamed it. He didn't impact the game anywhere near anyone would've expected him to, but what a tournament. What a player.The image of him sat on the floor, defeated, may be one of his last on a football pitch for all we know. If it is, then he goes with his head held high, even if he couldn't find another moment of magical history.Argentina played defensive and Alvarez couldn't get involved. Replaced by centre-half in extra time which tells you all you need to know about how Lionel Scaloni was approaching the game.An experienced name brought on for what is likely one last dance. Led the defence well enough until the inevitable happened.Shocking. He came on, committed fouls, did nothing positive and then carried himself in such a poor manner come the final whistle to boot leading to a red card after the final whistle. He should be ashamed of himself.Beaten at the back post by Williams to set up Torres' winner. He then sparked ugly scenes at full-time by throwing a punch at Rodri as he rushed onto the pitch to celebrate with his team-mates. A sore loser maybe trying to deflect from his role in the costly goal.Not much Medina could do to stop the Spanish onslaught, but ultimately he was one of the defenders on the pitch when they did score.He worked his socks off after coming on, but he will always rue his missed in extra-time stoppage time. When the ball fell at his feet at a corner, he would've seen his name in lights. Instead, he fired his half volley over the bar.Senesi put in a couple of decent tackles, but his introduction in place of Alvarez was straight out of the Thomas Tuchel playbook. It condemned Argentina to try and hold on - before they had conceded - and they probably wished they had kept one more attacker on.Have your say on who stole the show using our interactive tool...

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Spain won their second World Cup title after Ferran Torres' 106th-minute smashed finish earned a 1-0 win against defending champions Argentina in the 2026 final.Spain were deserved winners. Torres scored with Spain's 20th shot while the game ended without Argentina registering a single shot on target.Lionel Messi touched the ball just 54 times in a match that took three hours to complete and featured a 27-minute half-time break.Spain's win had shades of their maiden victory in 2010 too, scoring in the second period of extra time after a goalless 90 minutes. Then, it was Andres Iniesta against the Netherlands - now another Barcelona player, Torres, adds his name to the history books.A nod back from fellow substitute Nico Williams saw the former Manchester City forward storm on to the ball and fire past Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez. It came minutes after Williams had an initial strike ruled out for an alleged Mikel Merino foul on Nicolas Otamendi.Argentina did keep their shape well as Spain applied consistent pressure - especially after Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a reckless second yellow at the end of normal time - and relied on Martinez to make a string of saves.Their only threat emerged in added-on time at the end of extra time, with Giuliano Simeone blazing over a shot that could have sent the game to penalties.But there was no fairytale end to Messi's expected final World Cup appearance, with the Argentina skipper anonymous for much of the game. He was also beaten to his first World Cup Golden Boot by France's Kylian Mbappe, who won it by two goals.Spain remain undefeated under manager Luis de la Fuente in tournament matches and add a World Cup win to their Euros title from 2024. It has been quite the tournament from an opening draw to Cape Verde to making France and Argentina look like average teams and lifting the World Cup.There were unsavoury scenes at full-time as Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina looked to strike out at the celebrating Spain players after Argentina's defeat.Molina threw out an elbow and caught Rodri, while Paredes appeared to kick Eric Garcia to the floor and pushed him back with a strong hand around his neck when the Spaniard got back to his feet to confront him.A Spain substitute was then held back by another Argentina player before Paredes came in, ripped his bib and swung for him twice, catching him in the face.Paredes, who came on at half-time, was booked within minutes of coming on and escaped a number of other yellow card offenses. He was eventually sent off in the aftermath of the post-match hostilities.5: SHOT! Lamine Yamal has the first shot on target.39: SHOT! Oyarzabal strikes - but it goes straight at Emi Martinez.77: CHANCE! Pedro and Pau Cubarsi draw saves from the Argentina goalkeeper as Spain keep pushing for a goal.90+3: RED CARD! Fernandez sent off for second yellow card after reckless challenge on Cubarsi.90+9: SAVE! Lamine Yamal forces a great save from Emi Martinez after a whipped effort.96: NO GOAL! Williams has the ball in the net, but it is ruled out as Merino inadvertently catches Otamendi on the foot in the build-up.106: GOAL! Torres fires home from Williams' cushioned effort.114: OFFSIDE! Torres has the ball in the net again, but he is flagged offside.120+2: OVER! Simeone has the chance to equalise, but sends an effort over the face of goal as Spain win the World Cup."One goal conceded in eight games, never behind in the tournament, they played all the football here. Passed Argentina off the park. The European champions are World Cup winners too. Thoroughly deserved.""I spent a very short time in Spain and what I found was that they were a different technical and tactical level to Premier League teams, their understanding of the game."That comes out most in international football when you are playing every four days in 35-degree heat. Technically and tactically, they are outstanding."Spain forward Ferran Torres to FIFA: "I think in the end the goal came from 47 million people (approximately the population of Spain), not just those of us that are here."Today destiny was written, it was made for us to win. We're far from our people today, but we tried to be as close as possible to them."Finals are hard. When you have [Lionel] Messi on the opposing team, you do get worried, but we always backed ourselves and tried to show our football and I think we managed to do it once again."[It was] a huge relief [to score]. I've been criticised throughout the whole tournament but, as I said before, destiny was written."Thanks to God, he always gives me the strength to continue and in the end he grants things to those that most deserve them."Spain's Mikel Merino speaking to ITV: "Unbelievable. It's the perfect moment for us."We are such a golden generation with these young players that give everything they have for this country, for these fans. Luckily, we got the trophy today."It was a game about concentration. We knew we were a better team in terms of football."The pitch was dry, it was a difficult game because they are a very, very competitive side and they know how to make the game difficult for you. I think the team was outstanding today and we deserve it."When you are facing a low block and you have a team that is defending in your own box, you have to attack the box with bodies on the line and then control the transitions."We have very good players that can cross the ball, big threats in the box and the old-school way of scoring goals and we did it.""They have relied on the 39-year-old time and again in this tournament, and much like a few of his contemporaries, he did go missing in one of the biggest moments."However, that wasn't entirely his fault. Argentina had 34.9 per cent possession and were not able to work anything for their star man to use."In the final five minutes, Messi had a few glimpses but this time, he and Argentina ran out of time, with no shots registered on target."But by his absence and his team unable to provide for him, it shows even more just how much they rely on him for their goals."

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The 2026 World Cup final might not be remembered as a superb football match but it will at least go down in history for all that surrounded it.There was the longest half-time in history, featuring performances from artists including Madonna and Justin Bieber, a pre-kick-off speech from Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise, an appearance by US president Donald Trump and fireworks. Lots of fireworks - all in broad daylight.Spain won the trophy for the second time, beating Argentina through a Ferran Torres goal in extra time but there was little else to talk about in the game itself. Plenty happened around the game though, with these some of the most memorable moments.Spain's 'victory for football' over 'embarrassing' ArgentinaAttributionNewsPublished2 hours agoWho made the difference for Spain? World Cup final player ratingsHe previously stated that this has been a World Cup like no other - and he's certainly not wrong about that, not least with the controversy of US striker Folarin Balogun avoiding a ban despite being sent off .That came after Trump admitted he had spoken to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, asking him to review the sending off. The lifting of the suspension meant Balogun was able to play for the USA in the last-16 loss to Belgium.Perhaps just as surprising was Trump's lack of attendance at games throughout the tournament. He had not been to a single match prior to the final, meaning all eyes were on his appearance at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.His arrival was visible to those in the stadium as he was in one of three helicopters that flew overhead before doing a circuit of it and then landing.He appeared to take his seat - alongside Infantino - about 20 minutes before kick-off, just in time to watch Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger perform in the closing ceremony.He was later seen in the first half being shown the trophy.As well as Trump's appearance, the other big talking point in the lead up to the final was the Super Bowl-style half-time show.While the mid-game break is usually for players to recover from first-half exertion, coaches to give a team-talk and fans to buy food and drinks, this time it was extended to allow a mini-concert to take place.There were some big names featured - Madonna, BTS, Coldplay and Shakira, whose song 'Dai Dai' is the official anthem of the World Cup - all starred, while there was also an appearance by Justin Bieber.After getting a pep talk from Ted Lasso and his assistant coach Beard, Bieber changed the pace of the otherwise energetic performances with an acoustic guitar version of 'Everything Hallelujah'.The half-time interval lasted 27 minutes, but did it work? The reaction among fans was a bit mixed - but inside the Match of the Day studio, the assessment by former England striker Wayne Rooney was pretty blunt."I thought it was crap," he said. "I thought the performances were bad. The timings were bad. Just let us play football."Meanwhile, the closing ceremony before the match was similar in style to many other such ceremonies with loud music, dancing on the pitch though with the addition too of a somewhat dramatic speech by actor Cruise.For neutrals, one of the most-anticipated post-match moments centred around how visible a part Trump would play in the trophy presentation.At the end of last year's Club World Cup final, Trump got caught up with the Chelsea celebrations after presenting the trophy to captain Reece James.On that occasion, having handed the main prize over, he remained on the stage for a few seconds alongside James and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez before eventually departing to the rear."They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage... but he wanted to stay," said James, who was part of England's squad for this year's World Cup.At the end of Sunday's World Cup final, Trump - who had joined Infantino in handing out the medals to both the winning and losing players - did linger again for the trophy presentation, although not for quite as long as he did for the Club World Cup.There had also been boos when Trump and Infantino emerged for the trophy ceremony while at least one player also appeared to choose not to shake Trump's hand, with Argentina defender Cristian Romero walking straight past him after receiving his medal from Infantino.This was certainly a glamorous World Cup final and there was no shortage of fireworks - they went off before kick-off, during the half-time show and after Spain's trophy lift.But the hours beforehand will have felt anything but glamorous as heightened security meant those getting into the ground faced long queues.With Trump attending in person, the United States secret service took over security for the game.Gates for spectators opened at 11:00 local time - four hours before kick-off but stadium staff, performers and media had been arriving since much earlier.Confusion over access gates had led to some members of the media being told to go to one entrance, only to be told they had to go back and start again at the queue they had been in previously.Bag checks were also more thorough than in previous games, contributing to the length of time people waited to get in.Despite that, congestion was eventually eased and the game kicked off without any delays.When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC Sport

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11 CommentsArgentina manager Lionel Scaloni left his post-match news conference in tears when talking about his future after Sunday's World Cup final defeat by Spain.Scaloni, 48, was bidding to become only the second manager in history to retain the trophy after overseeing Argentina's 2022 triumph in Qatar.But European champions Spain proved too strong, as Ferran Torres' extra-time strike saw Luis de la Fuente's side add to their European crown.Scaloni's contract expires in December and he was overcome with emotion when asked about his future."I will talk to the president," he said. "I have an idea of what I would like to do. I will see out my contract and I feel the need, I don't know if something as big can be done. We need to speak this through."I am thankful to the president for bringing me this chance of being in this place where I am at the moment. It was a dream place for everyone. We have tried up until the very last minute to give our utmost, the staff and players. I believe it's only fair that I can take this time for myself to think this through."Scaloni talked through his tears, adding "bear with me, I don't know if I can continue"."This place is wonderful, it is a dream place," he said. "We would never have imagined, including my staff, that we would be in this place."In order to continue you need a great deal of things, especially resetting your mind, rebooting, creating a group like this again. That is very difficult to create again."He eventually stood up and apologised before leaving the room."It's really painful, I am very sorry."When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC SportWho made the difference for Spain? World Cup final player ratingsMbappe first to win Golden Boot twice as Rodri named best player

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Describing a result as a 'victory for football' might seem like a trite cliche - but you won't find many neutrals disagreeing with that description of Spain's win in the 2026 World Cup final.When Ferran Torres slammed in the extra-time winner, and Rodri lifted the trophy high in New Jersey, it is hard to imagine many will have had sympathy for Argentina.Spain triumphed in a battle of endurance, for players and spectators, to beat the Argentines and win their second men's World Cup.On every football metric - and, some would say, morality too - this was the right result."There is no doubt that the right team won," former England captain Alan Shearer said on BBC One. "From start to finish, Spain controlled possession. They were the ones looking to play football, create chances and get in behind."This is a result for football because of the way that they have played. Spain deserve it."Spain had 65% possession, an expected goals tally of 1.94 and 20 shots on goal - 11 on target.At the other end, goalkeeper Unai Simon kept his seventh clean sheet in eight matches as he won the Golden Glove for the tournament's best goalkeeper.Spain conceded just one goal at the 2026 World Cup - the fewest conceded by any winning team.Spain are - even in the hard-to-quantify world of international football - clearly the preeminent side in the world.They are world, Olympic and European champions - not to mention women's world champions too. The men are now unbeaten in their past 38 matches in all competitions - the longest run by any European team in history.They stumbled out of the gates in this World Cup with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde - meaning on both occasions Spain have won the world title they have failed to win their opener, following a 1-0 loss to Switzerland in 2010.But since then they have been among the most likely candidates to win the lot.There have only been three instances on record of a player completing 100 or more passes in a World Cup final. Two of those were Spain players on Sunday - Rodri with 101, and Pau Cubarsi with 121.And for many of the squad, this might just be the start.Cubarsi, 19, was named young player of the tournament, while it seems very likely his Barcelona team-mate Lamine Yamal has his best years ahead.At 19 years and six days, Lamine Yamal became the third-youngest player to play in a World Cup final, after Pele in 1958 and Giuseppe Bergomi in 1982. He is now the third youngest winner.Argentina are so often painted as the pantomime villains of international football - particularly by England fans.As they did in the semi-final against the Three Lions, they appeared in the first half to be more interested in stopping any semblance of football occurring than playing the game themselves.Leandro Paredes was the spoiler in chief, with Enzo Fernandez his deputy.Though four Argentina players were booked, many will feel that adds further to the theory they have had lenient treatment from officials at this tournament.Argentina made a total of 464 passes, compared to Spain's 852.But, unlike England, Spain did not wilt in the second half. Had they won this game long before Torres' 106th-minute strike there could have been few complaints.Argentina's Emiliano Martinez had to make 11 saves - the most by any goalkeeper on record in a World Cup final.At the other end, meanwhile, the defending champions became the first team in World Cup history not to have a shot in 90 minutes of a final. Their first attempt came via a cowed Lionel Messi in the 117th minute.Argentina lost their crown, and the scenes that followed the whistle led many to feel they had lost their dignity, too.Fernandez was first shown a yellow card for dissent, then a second for a spectacularly late challenge that sent Cubarsi somersaulting.After the full-time whistle, Paredes was involved in scraps with Rodri, Gavi and Borja Iglesias and team mate Nahuel Molina was seen throwing a punch at a passing Spain player too."Embarrassing, seeing that sort of stuff after the game has been played," said BBC pundit Wayne Rooney. "Someone has been crowned World Cup champions. It is not good enough."Paredes is better than that. It doesn't stop there. He keeps going and going."Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni attempted to defend his side's performance through floods of tears at his post-match media conference, but could only admit the best team had won."Even though they were out-playing us until the 85th minute, I would love to know what would have happened had we still had 11 men on the pitch," he said of Fernandez's dismissal."We managed to go all the way to the end when the match was so open and it just couldn't be. They deserved the victory, that is the reality."Argentina might have taken the World Cup final to extra time - the fifth of the past six to go that far - but that could not mask their inferiority."Argentina can have absolutely no complaints about what happened," former England goalkeeper Joe Hart told BBC One. "Disgusting behaviour."I don't think Rodri needed to get in their faces but you understand that after 120 minutes where you have been wound up and you thought you've been wronged, and the referee has been on your back."When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC SportWho made the difference for Spain? World Cup final player ratingsMbappe first to win Golden Boot twice as Rodri named best player

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Close169The frustration of some Argentina players boils over at the end of the 2026 World Cup final, after the 2022 winners are beaten by Spain in extra time.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.SpainFollow Spain

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It ended almost as Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump had planned. Earlier on a seemingly endless World Cup final day, the trophy had, in a scene perfectly of a piece with the event’s excess, been let out of a Louis Vuitton trunk. Now they shuffled up to the podium together and presented it to a beaming Rodri, fumbling the moment slightly when Trump lingered for Spain’s team photo. After shrugging off anything resembling embarrassment they had made their exit, golden glitter sparkling on a bobbly pitch and the reverberations from a football event of unprecedented scale pulsing far beyond this concreted mini-state in New Jersey.How to make sense of a heady, intoxicating, often deeply strange tournament that at once appeared totally welcoming and chillingly distant? It concluded with a disorientating fever dream beneath a bright blue American sky, football appearing a sideshow for much of the afternoon even if the game did not exactly help itself. Anyone straining for a parable could, if they wanted, take pleasure in Spain’s success. This was ultimately the triumph of a collective idea in a World Cup nurtured to indulge the cult of the individual.Through it all Infantino and Trump sat abreast, absorbing the spectacle behind reinforced glass. What kind of advertisement for football’s health was this? The past month’s controversies demonstrate that football’s leaders, and Trump must be considered one given the influence conferred upon him, have never been remoter than this and nor have they been more bulletproof. On the other side of the divide Argentina and Spain passed, niggled, snarled, sometimes crawled through one of the worst finals of all time, although at times one wondered how much that really mattered.The punters who paid $1m (£740,000) for pitchside seats from one hospitality provider, sun hats included, may have learned the hard way that football tends not to guarantee a dopamine fix on demand. But this was primarily an occasion for being seen rather than seeing. A document circulated by Fifa before kick-off proudly named 235 of the celebrities and VVIPs in attendance. One of them, Tom Cruise, attempted a speech in the oddly featureless pre-match show; he was drowned out by Argentina’s fans and it was one of the only moments in the day when a football atmosphere could be said to have prevailed.This tournament has wrenched, tweaked and torn at football’s fabric. Perhaps the view among Infantino’s circle is that all publicity can be optimised, polished, made to bellow louder and mainline the sport’s brash, gaudy modern exterior into non-believers. Football’s governing body has certainly succeeded in imprinting itself upon the US public, a swathe of whom appeared to believe the tournament was named some variant of “the Fifa” throughout the summer.But the Folarin Balogun affair has caused incalculable damage to trust in Fifa’s mechanisms, not to mention its proclamations of political neutrality. It has tested the patience of football insiders whose fealty may once have been beyond question, although not enough to prevent the certainty that Infantino will be re-elected by a landslide in March. Just as worryingly it teaches newcomers to the sport that every outcome is up for grabs if the relevant relationships are in place. Trump has made no secret that he would like solo host status handed to the US before long. The cooperation between him and Infantino is unlikely to scale back to that of golfing buddies. By the next available slot in 2038 his country may be staging football’s equivalent, in ethical terms at least, of the Enhanced Games.For now the game has its ways of pulling through even if most of the final was a slog until, with afternoon blending into early evening, Ferran Torres confirmed Spain’s supremacy. Cape Verde’s story, and particularly that of their goalkeeper Vozinha, was one for the ages. Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham did what stars ought to. Belgium destroyed a previously likable US side in the last 16, meaning Balogun’s reprieve at least had no material consequence.Beyond the scandal and shame there have been genuine reminders of what a World Cup can foster. Cities such as Kansas City and Houston delighted in unfurling the red carpet for fans, teams and other visitors using them as bases. Hospitality and generosity were sincere, often disarming. From overseas it had been easy to tar the entire US with the dirtied brush of its administration. But human beings are essentially good, kind and curious. Travelling around the US at length offered a rare chance to remember that.The US is big enough, its immigrant communities sufficiently engaged and its more obscure outposts adequately far flung, that evidence of this tournament could be found everywhere and nowhere. In Canada, the same applied to a greater or lesser extent. Mexico provided the injection of raw, unvarnished football passion. It offered the summer’s best venue, the peerless Azteca, and should have hosted matches beyond the last 16. The fear is it may not receive another chance.Over and out, then, for a World Cup that has gobbled up money, resource, airtime and attention as never before. As Infantino and Trump departed, a tearful Messi stood before Argentina’s support. Here, at last, was the kind of intensely human moment the occasion had lacked. An era is over for football’s greatest-ever player and the fans who turn his every appearance into a vibrant homage. This was the month when an entire sport appeared to enter a fresh dimension of its own.

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With the temperature at 9pm close to 32C, Spanish fans filled bars, parks and arena’s to celebrate their team’s 1-0 win over ArgentinaNeither the approach of yet another enervating heatwave, nor the prospect of heading to work on Monday morning, was going to keep madrileños huddled indoors when the World Cup, and the stifling streets of the capital, were there for the taking.With the temperature at 9pm nudging 32C, people across the city and the wider region filled bars, parks, fairgrounds and bullrings to drink, to stripe the streets red-and-yellow with their rojigualda flags, and to test their lungs, their nerves, and, as it turned out, their boredom thresholds.In the capital itself, the faithful descended on a giant screen by the river Manzanares and trooped into the cavernous concrete confines of the 15,000-capacity Movistar arena. Most, however, appeared to have made for the Plaza de Colón to watch the game under the statue of Christopher Columbus, for whom the square is named. Overhead, sharp against a bright blue July sky, flew the largest flag in Spain: a vexillological behemoth that measures 21m by 14m and weighs 35kg.While the plaza frequently doubles as a tournament-screening venue, the fact that Spain were playing one of their former imperial territories under the watchful eye of Columbus added a certain undeniable piquancy. The Argentinian ambassador in Madrid had alluded to the two countries’ long, shared history in a video message over the weekend in which he had urged pride and cool heads.“What a dream of a final: Spain and Argentina,” said Wenceslao Bunge. “Two brother countries. Two countries that have so very much in common … Let this final be an example for us and for the world when it comes sport and to the meaning of values such as work, perseverance and respect for others.”On Sunday night, the brother countries certainly had one thing in common – and it all depended on what happened on a pitch in faraway New Jersey. La Roja were hoping for another historic victory 16 years after Andrés Iniesta’s 116th-minute goal against the Netherlands in South Africa gave Spain their first World Cup triumph. Meanwhile La Albiceleste – who last lifted the trophy in 2022 after beating France on penalties in Qatar – were keen to secure a fourth title.Just before the game began amid hopeful cries of “a por la segunda!” (Let’s get a second title!), Sebastián Eros, a Chilean who stood with a Spain flag politely tied around his neck, admitted to being a little agnostic about the result.“We’re not really bothered who wins,” he confessed. “If Spain win, then that’s brilliant. But if Argentina win – even though they can be a pain in the arse – then at least the cup will stay in South America.”A 18-year-old madrileña called Katy was rather more psyched.“It’s a historic moment and it’s really exciting,” said Katy, who was two years old the last time Spain won the World Cup.Miguel Hinojal Vicente, 37, had come to Madrid from Toledo as much for the party atmosphere as for the match itself. Unlike Katy, he had vivid memories of Spain’s last World Cup triumph.“Shit, it was just a magical thing,” he said. “But, to tell the truth, I’m more of an Atléti fan than a Spain fan,” referring to Atlético Madrid football club.His friend Raquel García was a little more enthusiastic – and optimistic.“This is about the hopes of a country and it’s about unity,” she said. “Events like these bring people together and they make people happy.”For an eternity, however, it looked as though no one would ever be happy. The slow pace of the game – coupled with the lingering heat, the drifts of dope smoke and the soporific drones of vuvuzelas – loosed an atmosphere of fidgety boredom that wasn’t broken until 11.26pm, when Nico Williams slammed the ball into the Argentinian goal – only for the goal to be disallowed.The roars gave way to a disappointed torpor and some of the more refreshed fans began to nod off in doorways. They were rudely awakened 17 minutes later, when Ferran Torres’ goal drew a thunderous roar from the crowd. Screams, smiles and flares erupted and suddenly everything had become very much worth the agonising dull wait.Another disallowed goal for Spain may have followed but by then, La Roja’s momentum had become unstoppable.At the final whistle, which rang out a little after midnight, everyone in the Plaza de Colón – fans, police, ambulance workers – howled with delight. Tears flowed and hugs were suddenly mandatory.

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US president watches Spain v Argentina matchDonald Trump and Gianni Infantino were booed as they took to the field for the presentation ceremony before the US president attempted to gatecrash Spain’s victory party.Trump arrived at the stadium on Marine One, with the president’s helicopter first flying over the stadium about 45 minutes before kick-off. He sat in a glassed-in section of luxury seats for the match, along with Infantino. Other dignitaries and former players sat nearby, including Spain’s king, Felipe VI, Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, and Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum.Trump was briefly shown on the video screens at the stadium after the US national anthem was played. There were scattered boos from some in the crowd but nothing like the hostile reception he has received at other sporting events during his presidency. However, when the US president and Infantino came on to the field for the presentation after Spain clinched victory, boos rang out around the stadium. The White House pool report said that ambient crowd noise, which had been sitting at approximately 78 decibels before their introduction, rose to 84 decibels when Trump entered the field.Then, after Trump presented Spain with the World Cup trophy, he attempted to stand with the team at the side of the podium as they celebrated before Infantino quietly ushered him away.It was a repeat of last summer’s Club World Cup at the same stadium after Trump presented the trophy to champions Chelsea and tried to crash the celebrations to the bemusement of the players.Trump has made several appearances at sporting events since his re-election. Last year, he attended the Super Bowl, tennis’s US Open, the Daytona 500 and golf’s Ryder Cup. This year, he has attended several golf events, college football’s national championship game and Game 3 of the NBA finals, where he was met with boos from the New York Knicks home crowd.Trump’s appearance was the first time he has attended a match at this summer’s World Cup, which the have US co-hosted along with Canada and Mexico.At the 2022 World Cup final, the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, joined Infantino to award the trophy to Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates. Vladimir Putin awarded it to Kylian Mbappé and France after their win at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.Trump is the first sitting US president to attend a World Cup final on home soil. When the US hosted the tournament in 1994, Trump’s predecessor Bill Clinton did not attend the game. The trophy was instead presented by Clinton’s vice-president, Al Gore.Trump has a close relationship with Infantino, and called the Fifa president to lobby for a review of USA star Folarin Balogun’s controversial red-card suspension before their last-16 match. Fifa did reverse Balogun’s ban, but the political circus cast a pall over the US team, who exited a promising World Cup with defeat to Belgium.

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Close263Ferran Torres scores the only goal of the game as Spain dominate Argentina 1-0, to win their second FIFA World Cup at the New York New Jersey Stadium.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.SpainFollow Spainclose panelYou are now following SpainUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.ArgentinaFollow Argentina

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Game’s greatest player will not see his legacy sullied by defeat to Spain but his team’s display destroyed the gamePlaying on the grandest stage in sport for the last time, Lionel Messi seemed almost certain to provide one last memorable moment in this World Cup final.Yet as the sun ducked behind the west stand of New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, it became clearer and clearer that Argentina had lost the magic they had carried through this tournament. And as Spain gradually wrested control, one was left to confront reality: Messi, and Argentina, had finally run out of time, having long since given in to their worst instincts in a 1-0 defeat.This final presented a stark contrast to the Argentina – and Messi – we observed in every other match of the tournament. Almost without exception, La Albiceleste have been the tournament’s most entertaining team, not so much for how they’ve scored their goals but for when they’ve scored them, offering a masterclass in dramatic timing. Twice they were nearly eliminated by badly outmatched opponents, results that only galvanized them.Finals are frequently forgettable matches that fail to entertain but even by that lowly standard the pacing of things felt dreadful. Spain were suffocating defensively and – after a forgettable first half – finally worked their way into things in the second 45, eventually breaking through in extra time, quite expectedly. Argentina? They became the first team in the near century-long history of the tournament to fail to record a shot in regular time of a World Cup final. Even when handed an additional half an hour, they never threatened.And Messi? Until this final, he had presented observers with one of the rarest opportunities in professional sport: a chance to witness greatness free of stakes, entirely devoid of any real pressure to perform. At 39, Messi has done his time and nobody could criticize his collection of hardware – as an individual or as part of a club or country. This defeat does nothing to sully a spotless legacy; a win would have only strengthened his claim as the greatest player in the history of the sport. To some Argentinians, the victory against England in their semi-final likely carries nearly as much weight as a victory in the final would have.Yet it has to be said: Messi was rarely involved in this match, a far cry from the player who has sometimes carried his team this summer. Much of this, of course, is down to a Spain masterclass in defending. That alone is not always enough to contain the diminutive Argentina captain. But give Spain their due: they badly outclassed Argentina in every way, neutralizing even Messi. By the end Argentina had become what so many observers pegged them to be in the first place, sometimes unfairly: underhanded, dirty and desperate.Time has almost always been irrelevant to Messi on the field, because he so frequently bends it to his liking to elude those who defend him. The manner in which he performs at age 39 has a similar effect, tearing open a rift in time itself and transporting observers back to his glory days at Barcelona and elsewhere. Time itself has not passed him by as much as he’s marched alongside it, occasionally trailing behind a step or two but always eventually pulling even with it again.Yet now we are left to face the unmistakable reality that Messi is done, with the World Cup at least – this is, it’s worth noting, what was said after he led Argentina to their first World Cup in nearly four decades in 2022 and what was assumed in 2016, when Messi briefly retired from the national team after Argentina’s defeat in the Copa América final. Back then, the dialogue surrounding this player was that he would never play for Argentina the way he did for Barcelona, or even rumblings that Messi himself wasn’t sufficiently Argentinian, having spent so much of his life in Spain. Both arguments feel laughable 10 years later.It remains to be seen how Argentina’s performance will be perceived back home, where expectations were understandably high. The head coach, Lionel Scaloni, and even Messi had spoken at length before the final about how much they had already achieved. This final result, they implied, would do little to sully that sense of accomplishment.This was, of course, before they took the field and more or less destroyed the game. Scaloni’s legacy, like Messi’s, was secure before this final, the coach having brought Argentina a third World Cup and a pair of Copa América titles, but this was a lost opportunity to solidify it. Two things can coexist: Scaloni is almost without question Argentina’s greatest coach, and this was one of his worst results and performances.What feels much more real, though, is a sense of loss and disappointment after this pitiful final performance, which provided Argentina – and Messi – with a perfect opportunity to put the finishing touches on their fairytale. Instead, they turned from hero to villain – and needlessly so.

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The European champions conceded just one goal in the tournament and Spain’s success is a victory for a systemRelease the pressure, let it out. All of it and all of them. Again and again they had come, again and again they had been halted but they would not be denied. A dozen different players had taken aim at Emi Martínez’s goal but somehow he was still standing and time was slipping away, yet Spain refused to do so, so they came some more.And then, suddenly, only this wasn’t really sudden, the result instead of the purest logic, the clearest justice, Pedro Porro’s deep cross found Nico Williams at the far post and he headed back. The ball dropped deep inside the Argentina penalty area, bounced on the turf and just kind of sat there: waiting, willing someone take this moment.So at 5.42pm eastern daylight time, 37 seconds into the second period of extra time, Ferran Torres did. And with Spain’s 20th shot of this final, with all his might and all his soul, he won the World Cup. The ball travelled at 102km/h, tearing into the net, and Torres turned and tore in the other direction, sprinting to the corner where he leapt into the air and volleyed that too. Not quite so hard as he had hit the shot, but hard. From the bench and the pitch his teammates raced towards him, liberated at last, the joy flooding out. Oh, the release.Andrés Iniesta once said that the moment the ball sat up for him in the 116th minute of the final in South Africa in 2010, he heard the silence. Maybe Torres heard it too; maybe he heard history call. More often he has heard noise. Here there was an explosion, everyone at that end of New York New Jersey Stadium going absolutely mad. Torres stood there, doing a familiar gesture: jibber-jabber hands, ears “listening” wondering where the critics were now. Then he got the biggest hug Lamine Yamal has ever given.Late in Spain’s victory over Saudi Arabia on the day that Luis de la Fuente celebrated his 65th birthday, Torres had come on as a substitute and scored the final goal – or thought he had – only for the video assistant referee to take it from him. As they reviewed the footage, Ferran had stood with his hands in front of his mouth in a praying position, muttering to himself: por favor, be a goal; por favor, be a goal. This seemed like a portrait of the pressure, of what players put up with sometimes, a picture perhaps of desperation too. Spain were four goals up already, but here he was pleading for it to count.In the previous game against Cape Verde, he had hit the bar. In the next game, against Uruguay, he did it again. There was something that his critics took as confirmation, something cruel in how close it was. Too often he had felt that fate somehow was conspiring against him. Turned out, it was saving something for him: the greatest goal, the greatest moment in any player’s career. Justice had been done, not just in the game, which Spain had dominated Spain’s way – at that point Argentina had not had a shot – but to this team. This family, as De la Fuente calls them, all in it together.It felt right almost that it should be Torres, a symbol of all of them – like this was another moment shared, the collective expressed in one man who hasn’t always felt it but will now be for ever beloved. Torres became the seventh different Spain player to score in the US. At the World Cup of the stars, a team took the trophy. The European champions were the best team here, lifting that trophy having conceded just one goal, and this was a victory for a system, an ideal, a commitment to an identity. In that, it can feel almost inevitable but it is not. This was also a victory for vindication, for the belief their manager has in them and they have in each other, even if others do not. “People have been very unfair with him but he has a spectacular mentality, he keeps going, keeps working, and today life has paid him back,” Pedro Porro said of Torres. “This is for all 26 of us.”Coming into the tournament, Rodri, the captain, had not completed his rehabilitation yet. Lamine Yamal, the star, was returning from injury too, everyone waiting for him until they realised that maybe they didn’t have to. Williams, who had provided the assist, thought he wouldn’t get there: injured for much of the season, he fought back then feared Uruguay had kicked him out of the World Cup.Fabián Ruiz had missed most the season injured. Aymeric Laporte, imperious again, suffered with Athletic. Behind him, the debate around Unai Simón wouldn’t relent. Eric García and Martín Zubimendi came on here to win it: neither had had a minute yet, meaning Spain finished the competition with only two outfielders who have not played. Who had Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella down as the world’s best full-backs before the tournament? Plenty do now. Mikel Merino, the superest of super subs, had played only 28 minutes since March, but appeared to rescue them. Not once, but twice.And then, at the biggest moment of all, there was Torres.De la Fuente said that Spain had been “stung” by the doubts in those early games, the lack of recognition. “They are the best players in the world,” he kept saying, and it turned out he was right. Spain’s coach is a man of faith; faith in his footballers, his “family”. Every day over the last month he has exchanged messages with a friend Antonio, who is like a son to him, expressing the conviction they both felt. “It is written,” the messages say, and now it is.