After all the drama of the two semi-finals, the showpiece game of the 2026 World Cup couldn’t live up to the hype but at least it had the right winner. Argentina – without a shot on goal in the 105 minutes before Spain scored – didn’t come to play and ultimately got what they deserved.
Here, Daily Mail sport looks at all the big issues.
After England’s rather tame surrender against Argentina in Atlanta, there has been much talk about the use of substitutes. Here, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente saw his team dominate the game from the first moment but that wasn’t enough to satisfy him. He used his bench to introduce freshness and impetus and it paid off for him. He used six substitutes in all but it was the timing that was most interesting.
Leading scorer Mikel Oyarzabal wasn’t having a bad game – far from it - when he was taken off in the 62nd minute nor was Alex Baena when his afternoon ended in the 75th. But the two replacements – Ferran Torres and Nico Williams – combined to score the winning goal and were the two most effective and dangerous players on the field from the moment they arrived. Williams in particular was a constant menace and looked set to be denied in a personal dual with Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez until Spain finally grabbed their winner.
