Spain defeats Argentina 1-0 to win 2026 World Cup
Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, beating defending champions Argentina and soccer legend Lionel Messi in a thrilling, extra-time match in front of more than 70,000 boisterous fans in New Jersey.
Following a scoreless 98 minutes of normal time, Spain thundered to a 1-0 victory in extra time on a goal scored by Ferran Torres in the 105th minute of the contest.
The victory becomes Spain’s second World Cup title, its first since 2010.
President Donald Trump, who attended the match at New York New Jersey Stadium, MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, is expected to present the 18-karat gold World Cup trophy to the winners.
Spain’s victory capped a tournament that began on June 11 with 48 teams and was hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Sunday’s event featured the World Cup's first-ever halftime show with headliners Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS and the Muppets performing.
Who is on the pitch?
This will likely be the final World Cup for Argentina's superstar forward Lionel Messi, whose legendary career spans two decades. Messi and Argentina were vying to repeat their 2022 World Cup win over France.
This World Cup saw Spain capitalize on 19-year-old phenomenon Lamine Yamal, who helped lead the country to the European Championship in 2024. Spain has only allowed one goal in the 2026 World Cup, and the team counted on that strong defense to keep Argentina's strikers at bay.
Closing ceremony added more stars to the show
The closing ceremony before the match added some serious star power to the lineup.
Post Malone was the headline performer for the ceremony. Actor Tom Cruise, singers Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams, and streamer IShowSpeed were also featured in the ceremony.
Additionally, Jennifer Hudson performed the national anthem ahead of the match.
1st-ever halftime show featured big names
This year, the World Cup final included the event's first-ever halftime show. Global superstars Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber were the headliners, with the Muppets also performing.
The halftime show also included performances by singer Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus, the acclaimed choir of 4th and 5th graders from a public elementary school in Staten Island, New York. Coldplay also performed.
The match aired live in the U.S. on FOX (English-language broadcast) and Telemundo (Spanish-language broadcast), and streamed on FOX One and Peacock.
