Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute, leading Spain to their second World Cup title. They beat 10-man Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the final match.
Torres' goal came 16 years and eight days after Andres Iniesta also scored in extra time. That goal secured Spain's first World Championship with a 1-0 win over the Netherlands.
Spain took 20 shots during the game. Defending champions Argentina struggled to keep possession and did not manage any shots on goal until Spain scored.
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Start Your News DetoxArgentina's Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card just before the end of normal time. This left his team with 10 players, making their challenge even harder.
Spain is the only nation to win a European Championship and World Cup in back-to-back tournaments, achieving this feat twice. They are also the first World Cup champion to concede only one goal throughout an entire tournament.
Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, failed to win a major title for the first time in three tournaments. They had previously won the 2021 and 2024 Copa Americas, as well as the 2022 World Cup.
Messi, 39, finished the competition with eight goals and four assists. However, he had limited time with the ball and could not inspire his team to another victory.
Emi Martinez made 11 saves for Argentina. They were trying to become the first consecutive World Cup champions since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
The Winning Goal
The game changed quickly in the second period of extra time. Pedro Porro sent a cross from the left to the back post. Nico Williams headed it back into open space. Torres then hit a half-volley past Martinez.
This was Torres' only goal of the tournament. He became the seventh player to score in a tournament where his team never fell behind.
Torres said after the game, "Honestly, I didn’t think too much. I just saw the ball coming to me, and I just shot with the power of all the Spanish people."
Torres celebrates scoring for Spain [AFP]
Spain's coach, Luis de la Fuente, became the oldest coach to win a World Cup title at 65.
De la Fuente stated, "We are world champions. It was together we reached this stage."
After the final whistle, there was a brief moment of pushing and shoving. Spain then began their celebrations, while many Argentina players sat on the field in disbelief.
Spain's players later formed an honor guard for Argentina's squad. The Argentine team walked through to receive their runner-up medals.
