FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Result: Spain Beat Argentina 1-0 to Win Second Title

Spain won the FIFA World Cup 2026, beating defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19, 2026. It is Spain's second World Cup title, after their first win in 2010.

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time. The match was goalless after 90 minutes and the first period of extra time; Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game in the 106th minute.

Ferran Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in the 106th minute of extra time, the only goal of the match.

The final was played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, temporarily rebranded New York/New Jersey Stadium for the tournament. The 82,500-seat stadium is the regular home of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets, and previously hosted Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.

Kickoff was 3:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on July 19, which is 12:30 AM IST on July 20, 2026. The closing ceremony began 90 minutes earlier, at 1:30 PM EDT.

Yes. Argentina, the defending champions from 2022, lost the 2026 final 1-0 after extra time to Spain. It was Argentina's fourth defeat in a World Cup final, after 1930, 1990, and 2014.

Spain has now won the FIFA World Cup twice: in 2010, defeating the Netherlands in the final in Johannesburg, and in 2026, defeating Argentina at MetLife Stadium.

Argentina has won the FIFA World Cup three times: 1978, 1986, and 2022. They were the defending champions going into the 2026 final and finished as runners-up, their fourth final defeat after 1930, 1990, and 2014.

Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia refereed the final, with fellow Slovenians Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič as assistant referees. Jordan's Adham Makhadmeh was the fourth official.

No. The match was decided in extra time. Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute, and Spain held the 1-0 scoreline through the rest of extra time, so the match did not reach a penalty shootout.

Yes. Argentina's Enzo Fernández was sent off in the third minute of second-half stoppage time (90+3'), before extra time began, leaving Argentina to play a man short for the additional 30 minutes.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez made 11 saves in the 2026 final, the most by any goalkeeper in a World Cup final on record.

The 2026 final featured the first-ever halftime show at a World Cup final, styled after the NFL Super Bowl. It was headlined by Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS, curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin with Global Citizen as co-producer, aiming to raise $100 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The show ran 18 minutes, exceeding football's 15-minute halftime limit, and drew criticism from commentators as overly commercialized.

The pre-match closing ceremony was headlined by Post Malone, with performances from Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and IShowSpeed, plus an appearance from Tom Cruise. Jennifer Hudson sang the US national anthem.

US President Donald Trump attended and presented the trophy along with 30 championship rings to Spain. Spain's King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez were present, as were Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Argentine President Javier Milei did not attend, citing personal superstition.

Spain topped Group H (draw with Cape Verde, wins over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay), then beat Austria 3-0 in the round of 32, Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16 on a stoppage-time goal, Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinal, and France 2-0 in the semifinal.

Argentina topped Group J behind Lionel Messi, who scored a hat-trick against Algeria, then beat Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in the round of 32, Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16, Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the quarterfinal (a match reduced to ten men after Breel Embolo's red card), and England 2-1 in the semifinal.

The 2026 World Cup expanded to 48 teams for the first time, up from 32. It was jointly hosted across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the first World Cup hosted by three nations.

Yes. Total tournament attendance passed 3,605,357 by June 25, 2026, breaking the record set at the 1994 World Cup, also hosted in the United States.

Yes, once. Argentina beat Spain 2-1 in the group stage of the 1966 World Cup. The two sides had played 14 times overall since 1952 before the 2026 final, with 6 wins each and 2 draws.

Spain went into the final on a 37-match run without defeat in regulation time, level with Italy for the longest such streak in men's international football history. Spain also entered as reigning UEFA European Champions, having won Euro 2024.