Chicago – July 20, 2026
It took 106 minutes for Ferran Torres to score the first and only goal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, giving Spain the 1-0 win over Argentina in the deciding match.
Spain dominated the match, outshooting Argentina 20-3, but couldn’t manage a goal in regulation. Argentina played all of extra time down a man after Enzo Fernández picked up his second yellow card of the match in the third minute of stoppage time at the end of the second half.
In the opening moment of the second 15-minute period of extra time, Torres pounced on a bouncing ball in the box and used his left foot to bury a shot just under the crossbar and into the back of the net. Torres, who came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute, smashed the ball past Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano MartÃnez for his first goal of the World Cup. “It was a goal scored by 47 million people,” Torres said, referring to Spain’s population.
Spain allowed only one goal in eight matches at the tournament, setting a World Cup record for fewest goals allowed by a champion.
La Roja is now unbeaten in its last 38 matches — 29 wins, nine draws — and is now the outright holder of the longest such streak by any European team ever.
And for the last two-plus years, nobody has beaten Spain. Not even Lionel Messi. An Argentina team that was the king of the late-game rally in this tournament had no answer this time
