Spain won 1:0 against Argentina yesterday to become the World Cup champions. Ferran Torres scored. The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final took place at the 80,000+ capacity MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
How Spain Won the 2026 World Cup
The teams played competitively right from the start, each determined to score and defend in equal measure.
Unsurprisingly, they ended in a barren draw in fulltime. Still, they ended the same way at the end of the first half of extra time.
Then when the teams resumed play, Ferran Torres of Spain seized the first opportunity he found to score. The winning chance started with Nico Williams hitting a header into the Argentinian penalty box. Then as the ball was bouncing, Torres directed it between the goal posts with his left foot and scored. That was in the 1st minute of extra time’s second half; the game’s 106th minute.
Why the 2026 World Cup Final was Tense
Spain had conceded just a single goal so far in the 2026 World Cup. As for Argentina, the team had scored the most in the series. Moreover, Argentina was defending the World Cup trophy, having won the World Cup in 2022. Hence, there was bound to be tension.
Then incidentally, Enzo Fernández of Argentina picked up a yellow card in the 82nd minute. He had disagreed with an official decision and behaved inappropriately. That yellow card made Argentinian fans anxious.
They have criticized the attitude of the Chelsea player before in other tournaments, and had some reservations this time. Understandably, they kept their fingers crossed.
Nonetheless, not long after the first problem, Fernández picked a 2nd yellow card. That was in the game’s 93rd minute. The second yellow being tantamount to a red card, the referee sent him out.
Fernández’ foul that got him ejected was against Spain’s Pau Cubarsi, and spectators unanimously agreed he was reckless.
Unfortunately for Lionel Messi and Argentina, the defending champions had to play as a 10-man team thereafter.
FIFA Half-time Entertainment before Spain Won
FIFA seems to be going the way of the Super Bowl, with fans enjoying half-time entertainment. In this year’s World Cup, Africa’s Burner Boy and Venezuela’s Gustavo Dudamel were among the entertainers.
Other artists who entertained the 2026 World Cup fans include Madonna, Shakira, and Justine Bieber.
The ideas of entertaining fans during halftime and increasing the number of participating football teams show that FIFA is evolving. Certainly, the FIFA World Cup whose viewership is already a billion is bound to keep growing.