The 2026 World Cup final stayed scoreless for 105 minutes before Ferran Torres gave Spain the only goal required. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez kept the match alive with a final-record 12 saves, but Spain's control eventually became a second world title.
Key points
- Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute of the final.
- Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in East Rutherford.
- Associated Press reported Emiliano Martinez made a World Cup final-record 12 saves.
The final resisted every early solution
Associated Press reported that Spain and Argentina remained level through regulation in East Rutherford. Spain held more of the ball and created the larger volume of pressure, but Martinez repeatedly protected Argentina's route into extra time.
The goalkeeper's 12 saves became a final record, turning a match of Spanish control into a test of whether patience could survive the scoreboard.
Torres finally converts the territorial edge
The decisive moment arrived in the 106th minute when Ferran Torres finished the move that gave Spain a 1-0 lead. Argentina could not find an equaliser, and Spain secured the second men's World Cup title in its history.
FIFA's final statistics provide the wider frame: Spain had spent the tournament limiting opponents while keeping enough attacking structure to create one more chance.
Boda8 analysis
Analysis: Martinez made the final feel balanced even when territory was not. Spain's achievement was refusing to turn urgency into poor decisions.
Torres' goal was the headline, but the title was earned through the discipline that kept Spain organised for 106 minutes before the opening appeared.
Sources reviewed
- 01Associated PressSpain wins the World Cup by beating Argentina 1-019 Jul 2026
- 02FIFASpain v Argentina in stats18 Jul 2026