EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—In the end, FIFA and the 2026 tournament hosts delivered a World Cup that was heavy on star power, ambitiously commercial and surprising in its emotional resonance, if not in the results on the pitch.
Spain, the reigning European champions, added a second star to its national jersey with a 1-0 victory over defending World Cup champion Argentina, lifted to the 2026 title by an extra-time goal in the 106th minute. The men’s team joins the women as World Cup champions, becoming the first nation to hold both titles at the same time.
The final was a meeting of the top two ranked teams in the newly expanded 48-nation tournament, ultimately yielding a clash between soccer’s greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi of the Albiceleste, and its teenage ingenue, Lamine Yamal of la Roja. But the match itself was excruciating: scoreless until the 106th minute, with Spain attempting 20 shots to Argentina’s three. The sellout crowd of 80,663 at MetLife Stadium here in New Jersey was overwhelmingly composed of Argentina supporters, leaving the air thick with frustration for nearly two hours. Less than a paroxysm of triumph, Ferran Torres’ winning goal pierced the tension and sent a small pocket of Spain superfans behind the goal into shrieks of relief.
