Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time to secure the 2026 World Cup title. Ferran Torres scored the dramatic 106th-minute winner following a completely dominant performance by the European champions. The Spanish side dictated the game's tempo, racking up 20 shots while completely preventing Argentina from registering a single shot on target across 120 minutes.
A spectacular performance from goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez anchored Argentina’s defensive display. Martínez recorded an incredible 11 saves to keep his team alive into extra time. However, Lionel Scaloni's squad faced severe disciplinary trouble, picking up 5 yellow cards before midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off with a red card in stoppage time (90'+3).
Football pundit Troy Deeney strongly defended Spain’s aggressive tactical response during his post-match analysis. Deeney argued that Spain had to match Argentina’s notoriously heavy-tackling style to survive and win. He highlighted that Argentina utilized this aggressive physical approach throughout their entire tournament journey. His direct tactical assessment received rare, widespread praise from football fans for its raw accuracy.