Spain did not merely outplay the defending champions; they controlled the game so completely that Argentina were reduced to chasing shadows.
The scoreline said Spain had beaten Argentina 1-0 after extra time. The match said something far more emphatic.
For much of the World Cup final in New Jersey, Spain did not merely outplay the defending champions. They controlled the game so completely that Argentina, despite the presence of Lionel Messi in what was expected to be his final World Cup match, were reduced to chasing shadows.
The victory gave Spain their second World Cup title, but it was the manner of the triumph that made it particularly significant. Against a team that had built its tournament on resilience, late comebacks and the individual brilliance of Messi, Spain offered something altogether different: control without panic, possession without sterility and pressure without recklessness.
Spain’s Lamine Yamal takes a free kick during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, the US on July 19, 2026. — Reuters
