Spain claims second World Cup in dominant win over Argentina

Spain claimed the FIFA World Cup title after defeating defending champion Argentina 1-0 in extra time Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey before 80,000 spectators.

Finishing off the tournament, Spanish forward Ferran Torres, assisted by winger Nico Williams, scored the game-winning goal in the 106th minute. His left-footed kick from 20 feet away shot past Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Torres’ goal sealed the victory for Spain and brought the team’s tournament total to 14 goals.

Spain dominated the match, finishing with 11 shots on target while Argentina attempted zero. Tensions ran high on both sides; Argentina received five yellow cards and one red card, while Spain committed 20 fouls.

Spain's 68% possession against the three-time World Cup champions secured the title in the nerve-wracking 120-minute final. With the victory, Spain became the first country in FIFA history to win a World Cup title in both the men's and women's tournaments.

Spain’s clean defense throughout the first three-host World Cup was apparent, as the squad completed the entire tournament conceding only one goal. The single goal scored against Spain came from Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere on a counter-attack header in the 41st minute of the quarterfinals, a match that ended in a 2-1 Spanish victory.

The final match for the historic 48-team World Cup featured a pregame show, with performances from Post Malone, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini and IShowSpeed. The entertainment continued after with the first halftime show in FIFA World Cup history, featuring Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS and Burna Boy for the estimated 1.8 billion viewers tuned into the finale.

The FIFA World Cup will return June 8 through July 21, 2030, for the tournament’s 100-year anniversary, which will be hosted by six countries across 18 cities.