EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — After 103 games and five weeks of dramatic wins, heartbreaking losses, surprise underdogs, Tartan Army parades and Norwegian synchronized rows, the 2026 World Cup reached its climax on a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon with a clash of titans that went down to the wire.
The tense game was scoreless for 106 minutes before Spain got the winning goal from Ferran Torres.
The final match featured confident, clinical European champion Spain, unbeaten through 38 consecutive matches, against ageless legend Lionel Messi and his gritty never-say-die team that survived a bumpy knockout stage. Argentina’s well of good fortune and Messi magic finally ran dry.
Messi, the 39-year-old Inter Miami captain, had rescued his team the entire tournament, scoring eight goals, but he will head back to South Florida without the World Cup trophy or the Golden Boot trophy, which was won for the second time in a row by France’s Kylian Mbappe, who scored a brace in the third-place game to reach 10 goals.
Reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off with a second yellow card in the third minute of added time, Argentina faced an even more difficult challenge overcoming the talented Spaniards. The Albiceleste fans serenaded their heroes until the end, and Argentina had a chance to tie the game in the 121st minute, but Giuliano Simeone’s shot off a Messi corner kick sailed over the crossbar.
After the final whistle, as the Spanish players and fans celebrated, a melee broke out on the field, provoked by Argentina’s Leandro Paredes, who appeared to punch Spanish player Eric Garcia. Paredes was booked with a red card for violent conduct.
While the fight was breaking up, “Que Viva España” blared over the loudspeakers. Spain proved to be the best team of the tournament, allowing just one goal through eight games. On Sunday, Spain had 12 shots on goal to none for Argentina and 20 shots total to two.
It was the first time in history that the reigning European and South American champions met in a World Cup Final and 80,000 fans were willing to pay record prices for tickets to the match and surrounding spectacle. They were treated to an entertaining battle of Spain’s precision and Argentina’s passion.
The game was deadlocked 0-0 at intermission, leading into a colorful 15-minute halftime show that included Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and K-Pop group BTS. And it remained scoreless through regulation, thanks to a World Cup final record 10 saves by Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez.
The most pressing question entering the game was whether Argentina would be able to take the ball away from the Spaniards, known for their clinical short passes and possession style that leaves opponents exhausted from chasing.
The answer: No. Spain dominated possession 66% to 34% and had 10 shots on goal to one for Argentina through regulation.
The Spaniards neutralized Messi, kept the ball away from him and it was the first time in a World Cup match since 1966 that Argentina failed to record a first-half shot, according to ESPN. The three total first-half shots, all by Spain, were the fewest on record in a half since 1966.
The skies were finally clear after rainstorms on Saturday pushed away the haze that had lingered over the region due to wildfire smoke from Canada.
President Donald Trump was in attendance and scheduled to present the trophy, so New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) required heavier-than-usual security. Thousands of journalists and ceremony cast members waited in line for two to three hours to get through the security checkpoint, which was manned by the Secret Service.
The World Cup final was a Level 1 Special Event, the highest possible security designation, and received aid from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the FBI.
Among the celebrities participating in pregame ceremonies were Tom Cruise, Jennifer Hudson, Post Malone and Christopher Macchio.
Argentine fans, as usual, dominated the crowd. They had been partying in Manhattan all weekend. An estimated 20,000 Albiceleste faithful flooded Times Square Saturday night for a “Banderazo” rally. The corner of Broadway and 47th Street was the epicenter of the party, but it spilled over for several blocks in every direction.
Fans in Argentina jerseys, and onlookers, lined the barricaded streets to be part of the festivities. The full song list of Argentine team chants echoed through the square and that spirit carried over to the game on Sunday.
Argentine fans were singing long before the opening whistle, with some Spanish red sprinkled in and a passionate section of La Roja supporters waving flags from the upper deck of one endzone.
Spain had allowed just one goal in seven games during this tournament. La Roja tied its opener 0-0 against Cape Verde and went undefeated after that. Argentina won all seven games but required several dramatic comebacks.
Messi and his teammates needed extra time to survive Cape Verde in the round of 32 and Switzerland in the quarterfinals, had to rally from a 2-0 second-half deficit against Egypt, and pulled off another late-game miracle to beat England 2-1 in the semifinals.
Argentina was highly motivated to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil did it in 1958 and 1962. Also, this is likely Messi’s final World Cup game, unless he returns at age 43, and the perfect ending to his record-breaking international career would be a second World Cup trophy.