Argentina Held On for 106 Minutes, but Spain's 'Olé' Had No Answer
Argentina went 106 minutes without a single shot on goal, but Ferrán Torres made the difference as Spain are crowned 2026 World Cup champions. Full final analysis.
It had to end sometime. Argentina spent the entire knockout stage living off miracles, comebacks, and extra time — and at MetLife Stadium in New York, they finally ran out of lives.
Spain won 1–0 and are the 2026 World Cup champions. Ferrán Torres scored in the second period of extra time, after a touch from Nico Williams, and the stadium erupted into a collective 'olé' from the Spanish supporters. La Scaloneta had no answer.
The number that sums up the final: in regular time, Argentina did not register a single shot. Not one. According to ge, it was a level of dominance Scaloni's side had not suffered in any other match at the tournament. Spain never needed to panic.
Messi, who had been the saviour so many times throughout this campaign, endured a melancholy final. The Spanish system neutralised him on virtually every touch — and without him functioning, La Scaloneta found no way out, either on the pitch or from the bench.
Scaloni's substitutions did not help either. The decision to bring De Paul back on in place of Paredes was a surprise and, according to ge, proved to be the wrong call. The backline then lost both Lisandro Martínez and Romero to physical problems — the accumulated toll of two previous extra-time matches exacting its maximum price at the most important moment.
The final blow came when Enzo Fernández picked up a second yellow card for a challenge on Cubarsí. Argentina survived the 90 minutes with ten men and without a single shot. In extra time, Dibu Martínez kept out what he could, but Torres was ruthless.
Golmetria's model already saw Argentina as heavy underdogs in this final — just a 6.92% chance of lifting the trophy before the tournament began, compared to 75.49% for Spain. Football confirmed the forecast in the cruellest way possible.
Another runner-up finish. Argentina's sixth World Cup title will have to wait — and nobody knows whether Messi will be there to try again.