Earlier this week, we looked at Spain against Argentina as control versus output. In the Spain vs Argentina final, the game stayed tight until Ferran Torres settled it in extra time and Spain won 1-0 at the New York/New Jersey Stadium.

Torres breaks the final open

Torres scored in the 106th minute after Lamine Yamal headed a deep cross back into the box. Spain had already seen a Yamal effort denied in extra time for a foul on Nicolas Otamendi, and Emi Martínez had made a late save from a Yamal free kick before the breakthrough.

Torres did the decisive work in 58 minutes and finished the final with a 6.69 rating. He ended the 2026 World Cup with 1 goal and 1 assist across 8 appearances. The tournament total is modest enough, but the final still belonged to him.

The match ended badly for Argentina

Argentina were reduced to 10 men when Leandro Paredes was sent off in the 120th minute for violent conduct. The Daily Record match report also described ugly scenes after the final whistle, with Paredes throwing fists at the celebrating Spanish players.

That leaves two versions of the end of Spain's win. The official record shows the red card for violent conduct. The match report adds the post-whistle chaos, and both parts make the final look a lot less polished than a normal title decider. M. Martinez finished with 11 saves, and Rodri posted an 8.2 rating with 106 passes, which helps explain why Spain kept the match under control long enough for Torres to decide it.

Spain have their second World Cup, and this one came with extra time, a late dismissal and an ugly end to the night.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →