Spain vs Argentina World Cup Final 2026: Final Score, Winning Goal & Records
Spain won the Spain vs Argentina World Cup Final 1-0 after extra time on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the 106th minute, and Spain lifted its second World Cup after 2010.
Argentina’s title defense ended one game short of a repeat. Rodri won the Golden Ball, Unai Simon took the Golden Glove, and Spain now holds the European Championship and the World Cup at the same time.
Spain vs Argentina Final Score and Key Facts
| Result | Spain 1-0 Argentina (after extra time) |
| Winning Goal | Ferran Torres, 106th minute |
| Date | Sunday, July 19, 2026 |
| Venue | MetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium), East Rutherford, NJ |
| Referee | Slavko Vincic (Slovenia) |
| Golden Ball | Rodri (Spain) |
| Golden Boot | Kylian Mbappe (France), 10 goals |
| Golden Glove | Unai Simon (Spain) |
| Best Young Player | Pau Cubarsi (Spain) |
| World Cup Titles | Spain 2 (2010, 2026), Argentina 3 (1978, 1986, 2022) |
How Spain Won the World Cup Final
Spain controlled the Final the way it controlled the whole tournament. The champions finished with 20 shots and 12 on target against Argentina’s 2 shots and none on target. Emiliano Martinez kept Argentina in the match with 11 saves, a record for a World Cup final, and the game went to extra time at 0-0.
The breakthrough came 39 seconds into the second period of extra time. Pedro Porro lifted the ball to the back post, substitute Nico Williams headed it back across, and Ferran Torres met it with a first-time finish from eight yards with Martinez stranded.
Argentina had lost Lisandro Martinez to injury before halftime and threw everything forward late. Pau Cubarsi was sent off in stoppage time for a foul on Enzo Fernandez, but Argentina’s final chances flew off target. Lionel Messi, starved of possession all evening, fought back tears at the medal ceremony.
Spain vs Argentina Lineups (Confirmed)
Spain Starting XI (4-3-3)
Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Alex Baena.
Luis de la Fuente kept the same XI that beat Belgium and France, leaving Pedri on the bench. The substitutes decided it: Nico Williams and Ferran Torres combined for the winning goal.
Argentina Starting XI (4-3-3)
Emiliano Martinez; Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez; Nico Gonzalez, Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez.
Lionel Scaloni sprang the surprises: Gonzalo Montiel replaced Nahuel Molina at right back, Rodrigo De Paul returned for Giuliano Simeone, and Nico Gonzalez started wide with Leandro Paredes dropping out.
Spain vs Argentina Head-to-Head Record
| Head-to-Head Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total meetings | 15 |
| Spain wins | 7 |
| Argentina wins | 6 |
| Draws | 2 |
| Latest meeting | 2026 World Cup Final, Spain won 1-0 |
| World Cup meetings | 2 (1966 Argentina 2-1, 2026 Spain 1-0) |
The rivalry finally has a leader. After fourteen games at six wins each, Spain took the fifteenth meeting with the biggest trophy on the line. The matchday numbers below show how even it looked before kickoff.
How Spain and Argentina Reached the Final
Spain beat France 2-0 in Dallas on July 14. After a scoreless opening draw with Cape Verde, Spain won six straight with six clean sheets, the most any team has kept in a single World Cup, and led the field with 66 percent possession. The Final stretched Spain’s unbeaten run across all competitions to 38 matches.
Argentina beat England 2-1 in Atlanta on July 15, with Enzo Fernandez equalizing from distance and Lautaro Martinez heading a stoppage time winner. Messi assisted both. Argentina entered the Final on 14 straight wins with a tournament high 19 goals, but the run ended one step from a repeat title.
How the Key Battles Played Out
Rodri ran the Final. Argentina never cut off Spain’s supply line. The midfielder completed the tournament as its best player and collected the Golden Ball moments after lifting the trophy.
Yamal drew the crowd, the bench finished the job. Yamal pulled Argentina’s defense wide all night, and the space told in extra time when Porro, Williams, and Torres combined for the goal.
Messi never got the ball where it hurts. Spain’s press held Messi and Argentina to two shots in 120 minutes, none on target. He finished the tournament with 8 goals and 4 assists.
Our Prediction Review
We predicted Spain 2-1, expecting Spain to score first and the deeper bench to decide it late. The bench did decide it, just without Argentina’s reply. Bookmakers agreed all week: FanDuel priced Spain at +130 and Opta gave Spain a 59.6 percent title chance. The full reasoning is in our Spain vs Argentina prediction.
World Cup 2026 Awards and Records
Rodri won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. Kylian Mbappe took the Golden Boot with 10 goals and left as the all-time World Cup scorer on 22. Unai Simon claimed the Golden Glove behind a defense that conceded once in seven and a half matches, and Pau Cubarsi was named Best Young Player at 19.
Spain becomes the first nation since its own 2008 to 2012 side to hold the European Championship and World Cup together. FIFA pays the champion $50 million, with $33 million going to Argentina as runner-up.
Where to Watch Spain vs Argentina World Cup Final Highlights
The Final aired on FOX and Telemundo in the US, with full replays on Fox One and Peacock. UK viewers can rewatch on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. Free options by country are in our guide on how to watch Spain vs Argentina.
FAQ About Spain vs Argentina World Cup Final
What was the final score of Spain vs Argentina?
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 World Cup Final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium. The match was 0-0 after 90 minutes.
Who scored the winning goal in the 2026 World Cup Final?
Substitute Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute. Pedro Porro lifted the ball to the back post, Nico Williams headed it back across, and Torres finished first time from eight yards.
Who won the Golden Ball at the 2026 World Cup?
Rodri of Spain won the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. Unai Simon took the Golden Glove and Pau Cubarsi was named Best Young Player.
Who won the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot?
Kylian Mbappe won it with 10 goals after scoring twice in the third-place match. Messi finished on 8 goals and 4 assists, and Mbappe left the tournament as the all-time World Cup scorer with 22 goals.
Was this Lionel Messi’s last World Cup match?
Messi, 39, made no announcement after the Final, but this is widely expected to be his last World Cup. He ends the tournament with 21 career World Cup goals, one behind Mbappe’s record.
How much prize money did Spain win?
Spain earned $50 million as champion, the largest prize in World Cup history. Argentina received $33 million as runner-up. FIFA pays the money to national federations.
Who was the referee for Spain vs Argentina?
Slovenia’s Slavko Vincic refereed the Final and showed a stoppage time red card to Pau Cubarsi. Vincic also took charge of the 2024 Champions League final.
How many World Cups has Spain won?
Two. Spain won in 2010 in South Africa and again in 2026 in North America, and now holds the European Championship and World Cup at the same time.
The Spain vs Argentina World Cup Final delivered the ending this tournament earned. Spain’s control finally broke Argentina’s resistance, Ferran Torres wrote his name into history, and Messi’s era closed one goal short of a fairytale.
Spain 1, Argentina 0. Champions of the world, and of Europe, at the same time.
