![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Lionel Messi\u2019s men remarkably did not register a single shot until a few late balls into the box in a last-ditch attempt for another miraculous escape act.<\/p>\n
Their plan had been to hold on for a penalty shootout after being reduced to ten men when Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the 93rd minute.<\/p>\n
Spain finally made the most of their numerical advantage and possession dominance as the European champions caught the Argentine\u2019s napping immediately after the changes of end in extra time.<\/p>\n
MORE FROM THE FINAL<\/p>\n
MBAPPE VS MESSI: Messi dealt one final blow as Golden Boot farce exposed<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018WHAT THE F*** IS GOING ON?\u2019: World Cup half-time show baffles as icons make bizarre appearance<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018DISGUSTING BEHAVIOUR\u2019: Punches thrown, throat grabbed in \u2018sore loser\u2019 WC final madness<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018ABSOLUTELY IMMENSE\u2019: Messi left empty-handed as \u2018shocked\u2019 star completes incredible trilogy<\/a><\/p>\n Seven Nation World Cup half time show | 01:31<\/p>\n Teenage superstar Lamine Yamal laid the ball off to Pedro Porro on the right wing, the Tottenham fullback sent a cross into Nico Williams at the back post, who did superbly to keep the ball alive with a header as the ball sailed for a goal kick.<\/p>\n Torres was waiting just outside the six-yard box and smashed the goal that gave Spain their second ever World Cup title into the roof of the net.<\/p>\n Argentina\u2019s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had almost single-handedly kept his nation in the contest but there was nothing he could do as Torres made the most of a near empty net.<\/p>\n \u201cI think in the end the goal came from 47 million people, not just those of us that are here. Today destiny was written, it was made for us to win. We\u2019re far from our people today but we tried to be as close as possible to them,\u201d Torres said.<\/p>\n \u201cFinals are hard. When you have Messi on the opposing team you do get worried but we always backed ourselves and tried to show our football and I think we managed to do it once again.<\/p>\n \u201cA huge relief [to score]. I\u2019ve been criticised throughout the whole tournament but as as I said before destiny was written. Thanks to God, he always gives me the strength to continue and in the end he grants things to those that most deserve them.\u201d<\/p>\n Spain’s Ferran Torres (7) celebrates after scoring the opening goal of his team during the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Seth Wenig)Source: AP<\/p>\n There was no coming back for Argentina from there as manager Lionel Scaloni whipped off his attackers and left Messi as his sole attacker as they tried to cling on.<\/p>\n It was the Barcelona forward\u2019s 25th international goal and his first of this World Cup with no better time to break his duck.<\/p>\n Torres thought he had a second not long after but his run out the back of the Argentine defence was ruled out for offside.<\/p>\n In the first half of extra time, Spain thought they had the opener, but Williams\u2019 goal was ruled out.<\/p>\n Mikel Merino stepped on the boot of veteran centre back Nicolas Otamendi in the build-up despite confusion about why the Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic had blown his whistle.<\/p>\n Moments later Merino fluffed his lines again as the Arsenal star missed a free header that gave Spain their best chance of the final to that point.<\/p>\n Vincic was also in the thick of the action for most of the afternoon.<\/p>\n Referee Slavko Vincic shows a red card to Enzo Fernandez #24 of Argentina during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Lars Baron \/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA \/ Getty Images via AFP)Source: AFP<\/p>\n Fernandez received a booking earlier in the second half for complaining to the referee after battling with Rodri for the ball in the middle of the park.<\/p>\n The midfielder, who scored the equaliser in Argentina\u2019s 2-1 semi-final victory against England, was then shown a red card for a late challenge that sent Spanish defender Pau Cubarsi airborne.<\/p>\n Argentina finally paid the price for flirting with danger with Fernandez\u2019s reckless challenge coming after several others had escaped a booking.<\/p>\n Yamal\u2019s legs would be battered bruised as his opponents seemingly tried to take them out whenever the 19-year-old, who became the first teenager to win the Euros and the World Cup, was on the ball.<\/p>\n Spain’s forward #19 Lamine Yamal celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York\/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE \/ AFP)Source: AFP<\/p>\n The lack of cards being shown fuelled conspiracy theories of Argentina being favoured by the referee, but their overzealous approach backfired.<\/p>\n The heat in the game even led to their being push and shove between the two teams after the final whistle, while Scaloni was booked as outrage erupted on the sidelines after Marc Cucurella crashed into the back of \ufeffGiuliano Simeone.<\/p>\n Regardless, chaos erupted as players from both teams surrounded the referee after the Fernandez send off.<\/p>\n Messi then tried to get Marc Cucurella sent off for saying something with a covered mouth as the two sides confronted one another near Cubarsi, who was laying on the ground.<\/p>\n Nothing came of Messi\u2019s protests, however, but the contest came to life in the dying minutes of regular time.<\/p>\n Argentine hearts were in mouths when Yamal\u2019s free kick was well-saved by a diving Martinez before Argentina\u2019s defenders cleared the resulting corner to send the match to extra-time.<\/p>\n The South Americans\u2019 hearts were ultimately broken almost half an hour later.<\/p>\n \ufeffSimeone had the best chance to nab a late equaliser, but it sailed over the bar.<\/p>\n Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) reacts at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Stephanie Scarbrough)Source: AP<\/p>\n It meant that Lionel Messi was beaten in what is surely the 39-year-old\u2019s last World Cup appearance.<\/p>\n A decade ago, Messi briefly retired from international football after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile at the same venue.<\/p>\n New Jersey has once again been the scene of disappointment for the legend as the 64-year streak of the reigning champions failing to go back-to-back continues.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were the better side — that\u2019s the truth — but I\u2019ll cherish the memory of them (his side), of what they achieved, and of the value of making it this far,\u201d Scaloni said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to place immense value on this because it takes so much effort.\u201d<\/p>\n While Spain added to their 2010 triumph by putting a second star on their shirt, having conceded just one goal for the entire tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel especially proud of this generation of footballers who have grown with this idea… giving us an example of a group, of a family,\u201d Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are players with exceptional talent. For me, it has been an honour to have accompanied them on this journey. \u201d <\/p>\n De la Fuente, who also led his nation to the Euro 2024 crown, added: \u201cI\u2019m very emotional, looking back. We have won everything, and that is wonderful.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are a generation of footballers who are a source of pride for Spain. Together, we are stronger.\u201d <\/p>\n The 65-year-old coach also heaped praise on Martinez, whose 11 saves for the game was more than his Spanish counterpart Unai Simon made for the entire tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the game should have been decided earlier. Dibu\u2019s great saves prevented us from winning sooner, but it is a World Cup final and, even with ten players at the end, you have to suffer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ferran Torres\u2019 106th minute strike crowned Spain as world hampions after a bruising World Cup final against Argentina…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":811186,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[64,63,596,85],"class_list":["post-811185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-football","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=811185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/811186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=811185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=811185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=811185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}