A 106th-minute winner delivered a second global title for La Roja after their relentless possession game finally overwhelmed an Argentina side reduced to 10 men.

Spain are world champions again.

Sixteen years after Andrés Iniesta’s extra-time goal secured the country’s first men’s World Cup, Ferran Torres provided the decisive moment for a new generation, scoring in the 106th minute to defeat Argentina 1-0 and return football’s greatest trophy to Spanish hands.

The final, played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was settled only after Spain had spent more than 100 minutes testing the discipline, endurance and defensive resistance of the reigning champions. Argentina survived regulation time without conceding, largely because of an extraordinary performance from goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, but their challenge became even more difficult when Enzo Fernández was dismissed shortly before extra time.

Spain did not abandon their principles. They continued to circulate the ball, stretch Argentina across the pitch and search patiently for the opening that had repeatedly seemed close without ever arriving.

Then, early in the second period of extra time, the breakthrough finally came.

Pedro Porro advanced the move before Nico Williams helped direct the ball into the path of Torres. The forward finished decisively from close range, driving a left-footed shot beyond Martínez and into the net. After a final defined by Spanish control and Argentine survival, the goal felt less like a sudden twist than the inevitable conclusion of sustained pressure.

For Torres, it was the defining moment of his international career. His place in Spain’s attack had often been debated, but on the largest stage he became the player who separated two world champions and placed himself alongside Iniesta in the country’s football history.

Spain’s triumph was also the victory of a system.

Luis de la Fuente’s side approached the final with the same technical confidence that had carried it through the tournament. The team dominated possession, controlled territory and forced Argentina into a largely defensive performance. Even when the match became physical and fragmented, Spain resisted the temptation to abandon their passing game for hurried crosses or speculative shots.

Their patience reflected a broader identity that has been carefully rebuilt since the country’s celebrated era of international dominance. Spain’s 2010 champions relied on Xavi Hernández, Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Iker Casillas and David Villa. The 2026 side arrived with different personalities, but the conviction remained familiar: control the ball, dictate the rhythm and trust that movement will eventually create space.

This new team has its own symbols.

Lamine Yamal repeatedly threatened from the right, demanding constant attention from Argentina’s defenders. Williams offered speed and directness on the opposite side, while Spain’s midfield maintained the technical authority required to keep possession under pressure. Behind them, the defence allowed Argentina few meaningful opportunities.

Argentina did not register a shot on target until the closing stages, despite possessing Lionel Messi and other experienced attacking players. Their strategy was built on compact defending, physical disruption and the hope that Martínez could preserve parity long enough for a decisive counterattack or penalty shootout.

For much of the match, the plan nearly worked.

Martínez produced a succession of saves as Spain’s attacks gathered momentum. His performance kept Argentina alive through 90 minutes and into extra time, even after Spain appeared to have taken the lead through Williams. That effort was disallowed because of a foul during the buildup, offering Argentina another reprieve.

The goalkeeper ultimately made 11 saves, an extraordinary contribution that prevented a match dominated by Spain from becoming a more comfortable victory. Yet there was little he could do when Torres finally received the ball in space and struck with sufficient power and precision.

Argentina’s resistance had already been weakened by Fernández’s dismissal. The midfielder received a second yellow card late in regulation time after a challenge on Pau Cubarsí, leaving the defending champions to contest extra time with 10 players.

The red card was the culmination of an increasingly confrontational Argentine performance. Their attempts to interrupt Spain’s rhythm produced repeated fouls, arguments and moments of tension. The frustration continued after the final whistle, when a mass confrontation led to Leandro Paredes also being shown a red card.

The disorder contrasted sharply with Spain’s celebrations.

As the whistle sounded, substitutes raced onto the pitch and Spanish players collapsed into embraces. Some fell to the ground in disbelief; others ran towards the supporters carrying flags. A team that had arrived in North America representing a new era had completed the task once achieved by Spain’s most celebrated generation.

The victory gives Spain its second men’s World Cup title and follows its European Championship success in 2024. Together, those trophies confirm the country’s return to the summit of international football and establish De la Fuente’s young squad as the dominant national team of its period.

The result also ended Argentina’s attempt to become the first men’s team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup. After winning in Qatar in 2022, Messi and his teammates had travelled through another demanding tournament with the possibility of creating a lasting dynasty.

Instead, they encountered a Spanish side that refused to be hurried or intimidated.

For Messi, the defeat may represent the closing scene of his World Cup career. He could not reproduce the decisive influence that had carried Argentina to the title four years earlier, largely because Spain denied him the space and possession required to shape the final.

His presence nevertheless gave the occasion another layer of history. One of football’s greatest players was attempting to defend his crown against a team led by footballers who had grown up watching him. By the end, however, the night belonged not to the established legend but to Spain’s emerging generation.

The contrast was clearest after Torres scored. Argentina had defended with desperation, but Spain had continued to believe in the method that brought them to the final. There had been no tactical panic and no surrender of identity—only repetition, movement and the conviction that the next attack might finally succeed.

That faith was rewarded in the 106th minute.

Spain’s first world title was remembered as the culmination of an extraordinary generation. Their second may be remembered as the beginning of another.