EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — European champions Spain captured their second FIFA World Cup trophy on Sunday evening, securing a tense 1–0 victory over defending champions Argentina after extra time at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Substitute forward Ferran Torres produced the decisive moment in the 106th minute. Following a lofted cross from Pedro Porro, winger Nico Williams headed the ball back across the penalty box. Torres reacted quickly to fire a low, first-time volley past goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
The breakthrough came after Spain spent most of the match pressing against a compact Argentine defense. Martínez made 12 saves to keep Argentina in contention, while La Roja created 20 scoring attempts.
Argentina faced an uphill battle late in normal time when midfielder Enzo Fernández received his second yellow card for a tackle on Pau Cubarsi. Played down to 10 men, Lionel Scaloni’s squad focused on defending deep to push the match toward a penalty shootout.
Spain controlled the tempo throughout the evening through midfielders Rodri and Pedri. Argentina managed no shots on target across the 90 minutes of regulation time, struggling to establish sustained possession against Spain’s high press.
The victory marks Spain’s second World Cup title, adding to their first triumph in South Africa in 2010. Manager Luis de la Fuente became the oldest coach to lift the trophy at 65 years old.
Spain also set a defensive benchmark by conceding only one goal across eight matches in the tournament. Goalkeeper Unai Simón recorded seven clean sheets, while Spain extended their overall unbeaten run to 38 matches across all competitions.
