(Photo – Bryan Berlin/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY – SA 4.0) EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, July 20 — Spain are world champions for the second time after a dramatic 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium, denying Lionel Messi a fairytale send-off and preventing Argentina from becoming back-to-back champions.
A defensive final decided in extra time
Substitute Ferran Torres struck the only goal of the game in the 106th minute, firing home just 37 seconds after the second period of extra time began, to hand Luis de la Fuente’s side their first World Cup since 2010. It was Spain’s only real breakthrough in a final that was largely a stalemate, with the European champions dominating possession and territory but repeatedly denied by a heroic performance from Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
Argentina were reduced to 10 men late in normal time when Enzo Fernández picked up a second yellow card, tipping the balance further in Spain’s favour heading into the additional 30 minutes. Spain also had what looked like a second goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up, while teenage forward Lamine Yamal saw a stoppage-time free-kick well saved by Martínez to keep the score at 1-0.
Messi’s last dance ends in heartbreak
At 39 and playing what is widely expected to be his final World Cup, Messi could not conjure a signature moment of magic to drag Argentina level. He had Argentina’s best chance of the match inside the first five minutes, latching onto a Julián Álvarez pass in behind the defence, but was denied by Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón. Messi was left in tears at full time as he collected his runners-up medal, in what may prove to be his last appearance in Argentina colours — fittingly, at the same stadium where he had once announced, and later reversed, his international retirement a decade earlier.
Tempers boiled over after the final whistle, with Argentina’s Leandro Paredes reportedly sent off for his part in a confrontation as Spanish players celebrated.
Spain complete a rare double
The win means Spain becomes the first nation to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup titles at the same time. Spain went through the entire tournament unbeaten and conceded only once all campaign — Enzo Fernández’s stoppage-time equaliser against them in the semi-final — underlining a suffocating defensive record to go with their trademark possession game.
For Argentina, the defeat ends the Scaloni era’s bid for a second consecutive title and a fourth World Cup overall, with the “no back-to-back champions since Brazil in 1962” trend continuing.