Torres fires Spain past Argentina in extra time to win World Cup, denying Messi a 2nd title
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 World Cup final thanks to a 106th-minute goal by Ferran Torres. The victory marks Spain's second World Cup title and denies Lionel Messi a championship in his final tournament appearance.
Why it matters
This result cements Spain's status as a dominant force in international football, having now held both men's and women's World Cup titles simultaneously.
And when it was over, Spain walked off with the trophy. Messi simply walked off in tears.
Spain is back atop the soccer world for a second time, after Ferran Torres' first goal of this year's World Cup — unquestionably the goal of his life — gave his country a 1-0 win over now-dethroned champion Argentina in the final on Sunday.
"It was a goal scored by 47 million people," Torres said, referring to Spain's population.
Maybe not by them — but certainly for them.
It denied Messi a second straight title in what he has indicated was his final World Cup match. Torres, a second-half substitute, pounced on a bouncing ball in the box and used his left foot to bury a shot just under the crossbar in the 106th minute.
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