Spain were crowned 2026 FIFA World Cup champions, defeating Argentina 1–0 after extra time in a thrilling final. Substitute Ferran Torres netted the decisive goal in the 106th minute, securing Spain’s second World Cup title in history and bringing an end to the inaugural 48-team, three-host-nation tournament.

Spain’s title-winning moment arrived just 37 seconds into the second period of extra time. Ferran Torres, a 62nd-minute substitute for Mikel Oyarzabal, side-footed home after Nico Williams’ header fell to him following a cross from Pedro Porro. It was Torres’s first goal of the tournament, and it denied Argentina the chance to become the first team to win back-to-back men’s titles since Brazil in 1962. Nineteen-year-old Lamine Yamal made his World Cup debut count, playing a key role in Spain’s title run. For Argentina, the defeat brings a bittersweet close to Lionel Messi’s international career arc — the 39-year-old managed just one shot in the final and now faces questions about his future with the national team.  

Individual honors have also been handed out: Kylian Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot after scoring 10 goals across France’s eight matches, while Spain’s Rodri was named the tournament’s best player and awarded the Golden Ball. On the goal-of-the-tournament front, Julian Álvarez’s strike for Argentina against Switzerland was voted best goal of the quarter-final and semi-final rounds.