Ferran Torres celebrating a pivotal extra-time goal for Spain against Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final.
Ferran Torres has broken the deadlock in extra time, giving Spain a massive 1-0 advantage over defending champions Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. A brilliant strike from the middle of the pitch has put the European champions inches away from global glory.
Lionel Messi’s squad struggled to penetrate Spain’s ironclad defense throughout regulation. The South American side’s hopes took a devastating blow when Enzo Fernandez was sent off, reducing Argentina to 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Red Card Chaos and Extra Time Action
Fernandez received his marching orders four minutes into added time. The referee issued a second yellow card after the midfielder committed a reckless foul that sent Spanish defender Pau Cubarsi airborne.
With a one-man advantage, Spain is firing from all angles. Substitutes Nico Williams and Mikel Merino have relentlessly pressed the Argentine defense, forcing them into a desperate retreat.
In the 94th minute, Williams nearly doubled the lead with a powerful header. Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced a massive save to keep his team in the fight and prevent a two-goal deficit.
High Stakes at MetLife
A heightened security presence welcomed 82,500 fans who faced long queues to enter the New York New Jersey Stadium. The highly anticipated clash kicked off at 15:00 local time (20:00 BST).
Argentina is fighting to secure back-to-back championships, aiming to add a fourth star to their previous World Cup victories in 1978, 1986, and 2022.
Spain is desperate to lift the trophy for the first time since 2010, looking to end a 16-year drought on the world stage.
At 40 years old, Lionel Messi is playing in his final World Cup. The legendary forward entered the match just two goals shy of securing the tournament’s Golden Boot.
Head-to-Head History
Entering the final, Argentina boasted a superior attacking record in the tournament with 19 goals compared to Spain’s 13. However, the South Americans conceded seven goals on their path to the final, while Spain allowed just one.
This marks only the second World Cup meeting between the two nations. Their previous tournament clash occurred during the 1966 group stages, where Argentina secured a 2-1 victory.
Across 16 total historical matchups, both nations have won six times, with two draws. Spain famously demolished Argentina 6-1 during a March 2018 friendly.
Official Starting Lineups
Spain:
- Simon
- Cucurella
- Laporte
- Cubarsi
- Porro
- Ruiz
- Rodri
- Baena
- Olmo
- Yamal
- Oyarzabal
Substitutes: Raya, Pubill, Grimaldo, Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Gavi, Pino, Garcia, Williams, Zubimendi, Pedri, Munoz, Iglesias.
Argentina:
- Martinez
- Tagliafico
- Martinez
- Romero
- Montiel
- Gonzalez
- Fernandez
- Mac Allister
- De Paul
- Alvarez
- Messi
Substitutes: Musso, Senesi, Parades, Barco, Celso, Rulli, Palacios, Almada, Simeone, Paz, Otamendi, Lopez, Martinez, Medina, Molina.
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