The FIFA World Cup 2026™ final ends with Spain as champions, after defeating Argentina 1-nil. A battle between Spain's 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, and Argentina's 39-year-old Lionel Messi. Spain's new generation, against Argentina's golden generation. Ferran Torres seals the winning goal in extra time at the 106th minute against Argentina in New Jersey. Nico Williams headed a Pedro Porro cross at the far post, and then Torres struck a goal in the net - past Argentina's goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez. This is Spain's second men's World Cup title, their first since South Africa in 2010. France's Kylian Mbappé claims the Golden Boot after scoring ten goals during the tournament, taking his career World Cup tally to 22. Join your host Haylena Krishnamoorthy for this episode on World Cup Daily | The 90+ Podcast, as she talks to former Socceroo, Tommy Oar to discuss the red card, VAR decisions, La Roja's unbeaten streak, Messi's legacy and Mbappé's Golden Boot win.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Did Messi's side get the win they were hoping for?
Or did the La Roja's unbeaten streak work in their favour?
A red card..but for which side?
And..who did the US President hand the trophy to?
This is SBS News World Cup Daily, The 90+ Podcast, where we bring you the stories from on and beyond the pitch. And I'm your host, Haylena Krishnamoorthy.
A battle between the European champions,
..with its unbeaten streak of its last 37 international matches, before today [[bringing that tally to 38]].
and the defending South American champions, with Lionel Messi chasing one last World Cup triumph.
It was a match between Spain's positional play and Argentina's defensive resilience.
Or some may say, a battle between Spain's 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, and Argentina's 39-year-old Lionel Messi.
Spain's new generation, against Argentina's golden generation.
From the opening whistle, [[Spain's coach]] Luis de la Fuente’s side controlled possession.
They controlled the possession, and patiently searched for a way through Argentina's disciplined defence.
Argentina, meanwhile, stayed compact, absorbed the pressure and waited for moments to strike on the counter.
For more than 100 minutes, neither side could find the breakthrough.
Then, finally...
"Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Williams, and slot that in for Spain by Ferran Torres. Well just when you thought it wasn't going to happen, he must have.. it coach (Luis) de la Fuente.. they have given everything."
Spain had their moment.
It was Ferran Torres who sealed the 1-nil [[1-0]] win, in extra time at the 106th minute against Argentina in New Jersey.
Nico Williams headed a Pedro Porro cross at the far post, and then Torres struck a goal in the net - past Argentina's goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez.
One goal. One defining moment. Spain were world champions.
Their second men's World Cup title...their first since South Africa in 2010...and incredibly, they conceded just one goal throughout the entire tournament.
They also become the first country to simultaneously hold both the men's and women's World Cup titles.
Outside MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the celebrations started immediately.
SBS reporter John Baldock and cameraman David Ollier were there as Spanish supporters celebrated the win.
John: "Congratulations! How does it feel to be world champions today?"
Voxxie: "Oh, I'm in ecstacy, this is phenomenal. I'm in heaven I can't describe it, to attend a world cup, I was born in Spain, to attend a world cup here in the US where I live now, I'm in heaven."
"Best, best feeling in the world, champions of the world!
"I just like, you can't put words to it and this entire day has just been so incredible.
"I am in a dream, it feels like a dream. I don't know where I am, I don't know anything!"
Meanwhile back here in Australia, fans from both sides turned out in full force to watch parties across the nation.
My colleague Youssef Saudi spoke to Spanish fans living in Australia, who say they rang their families on a video call back in Spain, following the win.
"We are the best team in the world right now, we are the winners!
Youssef Saudi: And what about yourself? How does it feel to see the second win?
Voxxie 2: "I don't know, Spain is the best."
And even among Argentina supporters, there was admiration for the new champions.
"Well I am so happy, I'm so happy because we have a big relationship with Spain, because overall we have a big relationship with Spain."
So how did Spain take on the 2022 World Cup champions?
To break down the finals, I caught up with former Socceroo Tommy Oar after the match.
"I think they were the dominant team for the whole 120 minutes. Of course, when Argentina got the red card, it played even more into Spain's favour, but I think it's just been a reflection of the whole tournament. I think Argentina showed great resilience and character to get to this point, and even in games where they suffered a lot, they showed that resilience to overcome those obstacles. But Spain, if you compare the two styles, I think Spain, they looked like they were in total control for the whole tournament, and deservedly, got the win in another game."
But, let's not forget - one of the lasting memories of this tournament though, won't just be the finalists.
It'll be the rise of football's newest nations.
Cape Verde, making its World Cup debut, pushed both Spain and Argentina to their limits.
Spain were held to a nil-nil draw.
Argentina needed the full 120 minutes to rise.
"I think that this World Cup, one of the great parts of the expanded World Cup and the more teams was the likes of Cape Verde and, Curaçao and nations that we don't normally get to see at the World Cup play, and they more than held their own. And I think it showed that the margins in football between the top and the bottom are very slim. And you know, you see the fans from these nations, it's amazing to see how behind the team they get. And it was, they added a lot in terms of, not only the football, but also off the field. For Spain and Argentina to struggle against Cape Verde on paper was surprising, but then when you see how Cape Verde played in terms of the, they took no backward steps and in terms of the football, they were very positive, proactive, a lot of technical ability. So it was great to see them on this stage."
The final also had its fair share of controversy.
Argentina's Enzo Fernández was sent off with a red - after receiving a second yellow card following a foul on Pau Cubarsí.
And Spain thought Nico Williams found the back of the net, in the first half of extra time.
But after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed.
"The first three or four replays I thought the goal should have been allowed to stand, but I think, you could see, (Nicolás) Otamendi did get his foot stood on, so ultimately I think the right decision was arrived at. It was a little bit uncertain whether it was a foul on the goalkeeper or a foul on Otamendi, but, in the end of course, Spain had the ascendancy. And because they scored the winning goal not too long later it didn't matter, but had the result been different, for sure that would've been a talking point."
After the final whistle, the emotions couldn't have been more different.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni fought back tears at the post conference match.
"What can I say? We’re sad because we weren’t able to bring home the trophy. My deepest thanks to everyone, to all the fans and all the people who carried us today. Whatever little strength we had left, they gave us that strength and pushed us to keep fighting until the very end with the match still open, but it wasn’t to be. They were deserved winners. That’s the reality. We have to acknowledge that, and honestly, we came very close. All that’s left is to thank my players and everyone who lent a huge helping hand so we could reach another World Cup final. Now the match is over and we have to move on. As we always say, when you win everything looks good, and when you lose not everything is bad."
But Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente praised his counterpart.
"He should be very happy, very pleased of his journey with the Argentine national team. He’s broken every record. He still has a long career ahead of him. He’s young. That's what I said to him. I said, 'Leo, you’re younger than me; I have less football left in me than you do,’ so today I think we deserved to win."
And says his Spain side is made up of good people - supportive, with values and principles, who put the common good before their individual interests.
This final, was like no other.
For the first time in the World Cup history, there was Halftime show..
The extended break - much like the Super Bowl - has sparked controversy, among fans.
But what does this mean for the concentration of players?
A few days ago I spoke to former Matildas goalkeeper, Lydia Williams about this.
Here's what she had to say.
"The halftime show being extended to 30 minutes, I think it's equivalent of, I guess, if there was a weather delay, lightning strike. But I think in terms of, football flowing and, what football is about, I think obviously you wanna keep it, unchanged really. But this has been a tournament of hydration breaks and, extra time in the tunnel. I think there has been some games where players haven't come out until, like, the 18th, 19th, 20th-minute mark at half time. So there has been a little bit of leniency for that anyway. But understandably could see why that, the halftime show has been added. But I think for football purity, you want to keep, the game as, consistent as possible."
And with the match played in the United States, US President Donald Trump presented Spain with the World Cup trophy..
..and FIFA President Gianni Infantino had to slowly guide him away, as the team took their celebration photo.
Rodri collected the Golden Ball as player of the tournament.
Pau Cubarsí was named Young Player of the Tournament.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon has set a record for most clean sheets in a World Cup tournament with seven.
Lamine Yamal celebrated with his teammates after another extraordinary performance.
And then there was Lionel Messi.
The Argentine captain left the field in tears.
Perhaps for the final time at a World Cup.
Tommy Oar says that despite the heartbreak, Messi's tournament only added to an already extraordinary legacy.
"The way he played this tournament, eight goals, four assists, it... He's 39 years old, but it looks like he still has so much to offer. So whether or not this is the end for Messi, I mean, four years is a long time in football, so I think the chances of him playing in the next World Cup are probably pretty slim. But yeah, it's emotional. I think you look at the way his teammates and his friends play for him and for the badge, that's something very unique to Argentina. It seems to mean more to them than to other nations, and it's absolutely extraordinary kind of the resilience and the character that they show. So, to see Messi, for me, he's the best player of all time, so to see him potentially play his last match on such a stage is of course, it's sad."
France's Kylian Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot after scoring ten goals during the tournament, taking his career World Cup tally to 22.
Messi finished with eight goals in this tournament, and 21 in total.
Norway's Erling Haaland and England's Jude Bellingham each scored seven.
Tommy says the biggest stars delivered when it mattered most.
"Kylian Mbappé, what a tournament he had. I dare say that's not the last World cup goal he'll score either. But I think both of them, they were, not only both of them, but Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, there were so many amazing performances in this World Cup. And all the big name players who we all talk about beforehand stood up and, made a name for themselves once again. I think anybody who's been following football for a long time won't be surprised to see Messi and Mbappé do what they do best, and it's just a joy to be able to watch them."
For Spain, this victory feels like the reward for years of investing in a clear football identity.
A philosophy built around possession, and patience.
Tommy believes this could be just the beginning for this Spanish side.
"For Spain to win a trophy, I think it just validates what they're doing in that country. You see the football philosophy, is very strong and they, they've got such, a clear way of playing, very technical, a lot of passes. And it just looks like it's only the beginning for them."
As for Argentina...
"For Argentina it's not a matter of doing something wrong, it's more just having to admire Spain's brilliance."
Spain defender Pedro Porro summed up what the moment meant.
"I'm so happy, so happy, but also really overwhelmed because I still can't believe it. I think the first few days will go by and I still won't believe it. But I want to say thank you, thank you to all those people who've been supporting us from the very beginning. I can't even imagine what Spain must be like right now, or my family here, or my family back in Extremadura—and honestly, without them, this wouldn't have been possible."
The football wasn't the only storyline surrounding the final - it carried political significance too.
Relations between Spain and Argentina have remained strained since 2024, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Argentine President Javier Milei engaged in a prolonged diplomatic dispute.
That political backdrop, and US President Donald Trump's controversial Half time show, added another layer of intrigue to the final.
I'll be back with you tomorrow for a wrap up of the tournament, as we look back at the moments that defined these past few weeks, and ask what lies ahead.
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