Substitute Ferran Torres has etched his name into Spanish football folklore, striking a 106th-minute winner to earn Spain a 1–0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium.
The triumph delivers La Roja their second men’s World Cup star, their first since 2010, and completes a historic double, making Spain the first nation in history to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup titles simultaneously.
From the opening whistle, European champions Spain controlled the tempo, commanding over 65 percent of possession and firing 15 shots in regulation while holding Argentina to zero.
Yet, defending champions Argentina held firm through sheer grit and heroics in goal.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez produced a legendary display, making 12 saves, the most ever recorded in a World Cup final.
Martínez repeatedly stopped Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo to keep Lionel Messi’s side afloat.
The match boiled over deep into second-half stoppage time when Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsí.
Reduced to 10 men, Lionel Scaloni’s side dug deep to force extra time.
However, the relentless Spanish pressure finally broke the deadlock at the start of the second period of extra time.
At the 106th minute, a loose ball bounced invitingly inside the penalty area, and substitute forward Ferran Torres pounced, unleashing a left-footed volley under the crossbar to send the Spanish bench into raptures.
Argentina mounted a desperate late push, with Lionel Messi orchestrating a frantic set-piece opportunity in the closing moments, but Giuliano Simeone’s late volley flew over the bar.
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