Spain are World Cup 2026 champions. Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the final in the 106th minute, finishing from close range after Nico Williams headed a cross back across goal, as Spain beat 10-man Argentina 1-0 in extra time at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026 -- their second World Cup title, sixteen years after the first in 2010.
The Road to the Title
Spain went through the entire tournament without losing a single match, and conceded just once:
- Round of 32: Spain beat Austria to advance.
- Round of 16: Spain 1-0 Portugal -- substitute Mikel Merino scored in second-half stoppage time to eliminate Cristiano Ronaldo in what the 41-year-old had confirmed would be his last World Cup.
- Quarterfinal: Spain 2-1 Belgium -- Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring, Charles De Ketelaere equalized, and substitute Mikel Merino struck again in the 88th minute. It's the only goal Spain conceded all tournament.
- Semifinal: Spain 2-0 France -- Mikel Oyarzabal converted a 22nd-minute penalty and Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the 58th minute, shutting out Kylian Mbappe and France's attack.
- Final: Spain 1-0 Argentina (after extra time) -- Ferran Torres, 106', assist Nico Williams. Argentina played the second period of extra time with 10 men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off for two yellow cards late in regulation.
Records Set
Goalkeeper Unai Simon finishes the tournament with seven clean sheets in eight matches, conceding only once all summer -- the most clean sheets by any goalkeeper at a single World Cup, breaking a record that had stood since 1930. His shutout streak through the knockout rounds, broken only by Belgium's quarterfinal equalizer, entered the final as the longest in World Cup history. It makes him the overwhelming favourite for the adidas Golden Glove once FIFA's Technical Study Group confirms the individual awards.
What It Means
Spain complete their World Cup 2026 campaign unbeaten, adding a second star to the crest sixteen years after Iker Casillas lifted the trophy in Johannesburg. This is a different generation -- built around Rodri, Pedri and Fabian Ruiz in midfield and, most of all, 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, whose direct running and creativity were a constant thread through Spain's knockout wins (read our full Lamine Yamal feature). For Argentina and Lionel Messi, it's the opposite story: a third final in four tournaments ends without the second title Messi, playing what he has said will be his last World Cup, had been chasing to sit alongside 2022.
The Numbers
- Final: Spain 1-0 Argentina (AET) -- MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, July 19, 2026.
- Spain's tournament: 8 matches, 1 goal conceded, 7 clean sheets.
- Spain's second World Cup title, after 2010; Argentina's bid for a fourth ends in the final for the third time in four tournaments (2014, 2022 win, 2026).
- Kylian Mbappe won the tournament's Golden Boot with 10 goals -- see our full Golden Boot recap.
- England beat France 6-4 in the July 18 third-place play-off -- see our full recap.