Spain are world champions for the second time. On Sunday, July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Ferran Torres scored in the 105th minute to beat defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time. The win completed the first World Cup ever played with 48 teams and three host nations.

The final

The final was tight and tense. Neither side found a breakthrough in 90 minutes and stoppage time, and the match went to extra time with the score still 0-0. Just before the end of the first period of extra time, Ferran Torres struck the decisive goal. Spain then held on to deny Argentina back-to-back titles, which would have been the first since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

Spain’s second star

Spain’s first World Cup came in South Africa in 2010, when Andres Iniesta scored in extra time against the Netherlands. Sixteen years later, another extra-time winner delivered a second title. The 2026 success also continued an outstanding period for Spanish football after the national team won Euro 2024. Spain now sit level with France and Uruguay on two World Cup titles. See the complete World Cup winners list.

The first 48-team World Cup

The 2026 tournament was the biggest in history:

• Teams: 48, up from 32
• Matches: 104, up from 64
• Hosts: United States, Canada and Mexico
• Host cities: 16, including Toronto and Vancouver in Canada and Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico
• Dates: June 11 to July 19, 2026

The opening match was played at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, which became the first stadium to host matches at three different World Cups after 1970 and 1986. The expanded format added a round of 32, so the two finalists each played eight matches.

Argentina’s run

Argentina arrived as defending champions after their 2022 triumph in Qatar and reached a second straight final. For Lionel Messi, the tournament extended an extraordinary World Cup career that includes the 2022 title and records for appearances and goals.

What comes next

The next World Cup is scheduled for 2030, with matches in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and opening celebration games in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the tournament’s centenary. Spain will be one of the hosts and will defend their title on home soil. Explore more World Cup history and records.