Spain 1-0 Argentina (aet): La Roja reclaim the world title

Here we go: Spain 1-0 Argentina after extra time, trophy delivered on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium and a second star stitched onto Luis de la Fuente’s tenure. A stubborn final broke in the 106th minute when Nico Williams squared for Ferran Torres, the substitute finishing the move that Spain had been rehearsing all tournament. Eleven years after their last major final, this new generation has its signature win and the World Cup heads back to Madrid.

Match narrative

Cristian Romero’s yellow card five minutes before kickoff for arguing set the tone for an Argentina performance that leaned on interruption far more than invention. Lionel Scaloni started his usual 4-3-3 with Lionel Messi roaming off the left, yet a Spain side built on Pau Cubarsí’s poise and Rodri’s control took complete command of the ball. Emiliano Martínez kept Argentina afloat, saving everything through 90 minutes, while Lisandro Martínez was cautioned in the 41st minute and immediately withdrawn at the 44th minute for Nicolás Otamendi in a defensive reshuffle.

The second half was attritional. Leandro Paredes’ introduction at the 46th minute tightened the block but brought a yellow card in the 52nd minute. Spain’s response came at the 62nd minute when Pedri and Ferran Torres replaced Fabián Ruiz and Mikel Oyarzabal. The tempo lifted, the triangles sharpened, and by the 75th minute Nico Williams and Mikel Merino arrived to stretch Argentina’s tiring backline.

Pressure finally cracked the holders. Enzo Fernández’s frustration boiled over with yellows in the 83rd minute and again at the 90+3rd minute, the latter producing a red card and tilting extra time decisively Spain’s way. With Rodri and Aymeric Laporte rested for Martín Zubimendi and Eric García at the 99th minute, Spain’s legs stayed fresh. The breakthrough was patient rather than dramatic: in the 106th minute Nico Williams found a pocket on the left, squared, and Ferran Torres did the rest. Alexis Mac Allister’s booking at the 111th minute underlined Argentina’s attempts to rattle the rhythm, but Spain saw the night out with the same composure that carried them through the tournament.

Tactical breakdown

• Spain (4-3-3 under Luis de la Fuente): Rodri screened in front of Cubarsí and Laporte, giving Lamine Yamal the licence to isolate Nico Tagliafico while Alex Baena tucked inside. Spain’s 65 percent possession was no vanity metric; they completed 852 passes at 89 percent accuracy. The double switch at the 62nd minute moved Pedri into the right half-space where his 61 passes and four key balls quickened the tempo. Williams’ entry in the 75th minute added verticality, forcing Argentina to retreat, and once Enzo Fernández departed Spain flooded the interior channels against a lopsided 4-4-1.

• Argentina (4-3-3 under Lionel Scaloni): Scaloni kept Messi wide to pull Pedro Porro narrow, but without shots on target and an expected goals figure of 0.22 Argentina never established a platform. Paredes replaced Nicolás González at the 46th minute, shifting the shape into a midfield diamond in possession, yet it surrendered their only natural outlet on the right. The 70th-minute dual change, with Facundo Medina replacing Cristian Romero and Giuliano Simeone coming on for Rodrigo De Paul, was damage control. Down to ten men, Argentina dropped Messi into midfield, but their two total shots told the story of an attack suffocated by Spain’s press.

Key performers

• Pau Cubarsí: An 18-year-old centre-back running a World Cup final. His 126 passes, seven duels won and calm distribution ensured Spain never panicked even when Martínez was in full superhero mode.
• Rodri: Ninety-nine minutes of authority, 106 passes and eight duels won before being preserved for the extra-time push. He set the tempo that drained Argentina.
• Pedri and Nico Williams: Impact substitutes. Pedri injected line-breaking passes, while Williams’ assist in the 106th minute made the decisive difference.
• Emiliano Martínez: Eleven saves, 1.81 goals prevented. He stretched the final into extra time single-handedly and kept Argentina believing long after their shape dissolved.

Match statistics

• Shots on target: Spain 12, Argentina 0
• Total shots: Spain 20, Argentina 2
• Possession: Spain 65 percent, Argentina 35 percent
• Expected goals: Spain 1.94, Argentina 0.22
• Goalkeeper saves: Unai Simón 0, Emiliano Martínez 11
• Fouls: Spain 21, Argentina 25
• Cards: Argentina six yellows, one red (Enzo Fernández at the 90+3rd minute); Spain none

Looking ahead

Deal done for Spain’s golden summer. De la Fuente now has a core of Cubarsí, Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams to carry into the 2028 European Championship cycle, and the federation is already mapping friendlies to capitalise on this momentum. Argentina must reset quickly; Scaloni is scheduled to meet the AFA board in Buenos Aires next week to outline the Copa América defence after a final in which Messi’s supporting cast vanished. For broader tournament context, catch up with the rest of our World Cup coverage via Vietnam 4-0 Myanmar: Kim Sang-sik’s new-look attack delivers.