When Ferran Torres slammed the ball into the net in the 106th minute, Spain sealed something rare: a World Cup victory that nearly everyone could celebrate. Spain beat Argentina 2-1 in the 2026 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and by the end, it was hard to find anyone who disagreed that the better team had won.
Former England captain Alan Shearer put it simply on BBC One: "From start to finish, Spain controlled possession. They were the ones looking to play football, create chances and get in behind. This is a result for football because of the way that they have played. Spain deserve it."
The numbers tell the story. Spain had 65 percent possession, fired 20 shots at goal, and completed an extraordinary 852 passes compared to Argentina's 464. Goalkeeper Unai Simon kept his seventh clean sheet in eight matches on the way to winning the Golden Glove as the tournament's best keeper. Spain conceded just one goal at the entire World Cup — the fewest ever by a winning team.
At the heart of it all was Rodri, wearing the captain's armband and completing 101 passes himself. His teammate Pau Cubarsi, just 19 years old, managed 121 passes — one of only three players in recorded history to reach 100 passes in a World Cup final. Cubarsi was named young player of the tournament, while another teenager, Lamine Yamal, became the third-youngest player ever to appear in a World Cup final at 19 years and six days old, behind only Pele in 1958 and Giuseppe Bergomi in 1982.
This was Spain's second men's World Cup, adding to a cabinet that already holds world, Olympic, European, and women's world titles. The men are now unbeaten in their past 38 matches across all competitions — the longest streak by any European team in history. For a generation of young Spanish players, this might just be the beginning.
For Argentina, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made 11 saves — the most by any keeper on record in a World Cup final. Remarkably, the defending champions did not manage a single shot during the first 90 minutes of the match.
When Rodri lifted the trophy in New Jersey, Spain had given football fans around the world something to cheer for.