Earlier on Sunday we covered the Spain and Argentina final as a clash between control and output. The match itself ended up rougher than that. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the Spain vs Argentina World Cup final, with Rodri posting an 8.2 rating and Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute after a night when Spain had no shot on goal in the 90 minutes.

Rodri's final in a game Spain had to survive

Spain won the trophy, but this was not one of those finals where the winner quietly squeezes the life out of the game. For long stretches, Argentina looked the more dangerous side and forced Spain into a match they did not really want.

That is why Rodri's 8.2 stands out. He was Spain's best performer in a final where calm was in short supply. When a side goes through normal time without a shot on target and still stays alive long enough to win, the midfield screen tends to matter more than the forwards.

Lamine Yamal was Spain's clearest outlet. He completed five dribbles and, according to the match report, did it while carrying a left thigh issue through the full 120 minutes. That gave Spain a route up the pitch, even when the attack as a whole lacked clean shots.

At the other end, Emiliano Martínez did almost everything required to drag Argentina to penalties or better. His 11 saves tell their own story. Spain only needed one goal, but they still had to wait until extra time to find it.

The supporting cast around Rodri mattered too, even if the decisive moment came later. Marc Cucurella, Mikel Oyarzabal and Mikel Merino all featured in a side that spent much of the night reacting rather than dictating. That is not the version of Spain many expected after the pre-match numbers, and it makes Rodri's display more convincing, not less.

Argentina's red card changed the balance

The final can be read two ways. Torres scored the goal that settled it, and finals are remembered by moments like that. But it is hard to separate that finish from what happened just before extra time properly took hold.

Enzo Fernández was sent off at 93 minutes after a second yellow for a late challenge on Pau Cubarsí. The commentary line from BBC Sport was blunt: "ENZO FERNANDEZ IS SENT OFF 🟥". From there, Argentina's margin for error disappeared.

That does not mean Torres won it alone, or that the red card handed Spain the trophy without resistance. Argentina still had enough edge to keep the game alive, and Martínez certainly did his part. But once Enzo had gone, Spain were finally working against a side with less cover, less control and less capacity to sustain pressure.

That shift showed in the winner. Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute from Nico Williams' knockdown, the single clean finish Spain had been missing all night. The BBC commentary call, "FERRAN TORRES 106", captured the simplicity of it. After 90 minutes of blunt attacking play, Spain only needed one clear action.

The final looked different from the build-up

Pre-match, the obvious argument was that Spain's defensive control would be tested by Argentina's output, led by Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martínez. What actually happened was stranger. Spain's control with the ball never fully arrived, and their win came through endurance, midfield stability and a late opening against 10 men.

That is also why the result should not be reduced to a neat tactical triumph. Spain were second best for long stretches. Argentina's discipline collapse played a major part. Still, the winners had to survive the difficult part first, and Rodri was central to that.

Argentina's frustration spilled over again in stoppage time of extra time, when Leandro Paredes saw red for violent conduct at 120+6 minutes. By then the match had already turned. Spain leave the 2026 final with a 1-0 win after extra time, and the clearest image from their performance is not control, but survival followed by one finish from Ferran Torres.

FAQ

Why did Rodri stand out in the Spain vs Argentina World Cup final?

Rodri finished with an 8.2 rating, the highest among Spain players. That stood out because Spain were under pressure for long stretches, had no shot on goal in the 90 minutes, and still needed midfield control to stay in the match before Ferran Torres settled it in extra time.

Did Enzo Fernandez's red card change the World Cup final?

Yes, it changed the match state. Enzo Fernández was sent off at 93 minutes after a second yellow for a late challenge on Pau Cubarsí. Spain still needed a finish, which Ferran Torres supplied in the 106th minute, but Argentina's disciplinary collapse made the final easier to pry open.

How did Spain beat Argentina with no shot on target in normal time?

Spain survived the regulation period without a shot on target and then took advantage in extra time. Ferran Torres scored the winner in the 106th minute from Nico Williams' knockdown, while Rodri anchored the performance and Argentina were already down to 10 men after Enzo Fernández's dismissal.

Was Ferran Torres the only reason Spain won the World Cup final?

Torres scored the decisive goal, so he finished the story. But the match was not won by one touch alone. Spain had to get through long spells without control, Rodri was their top-rated player at 8.2, and Argentina's situation worsened after Enzo Fernández saw red early in extra time.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →