Politics
Spain end 16-year wait for World Cup title
SPAIN are world champions once again after substitute Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute of extra time to hand La Roja a hard-fought 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
The decisive goal at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday ended Argentina’s hopes of becoming the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup and secured Spain’s second world title, 16 years after lifting their maiden trophy in South Africa in 2010.
The final remained goalless after 90 minutes despite Spain dominating possession and creating the overwhelming majority of chances.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez produced a string of outstanding saves to keep Argentina in the contest, while the South Americans failed to register a shot on target for much of the encounter.
Argentina’s task became even more difficult after midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.
This forced Lionel Scaloni’s side to play extra time with 10 men.
Spain eventually broke the deadlock in the 106th minute when Ferran Torres found the back of the net, rewarding Luis de la Fuente’s side for their sustained pressure and ending Argentina’s stubborn resistance.
The victory capped an outstanding tournament for Spain, who defeated Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France en route to the final before overcoming the reigning world champions.
Argentina had reached the final after dramatic victories over Egypt, Switzerland and England, where Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez scored late goals to seal a 2-1 comeback win in the semi-final.
The triumph also saw Spain add a World Cup title to their recent European Championship success, while denying Lionel Messi and Argentina consecutive World Cup crowns.
Before the final, the governing body announced that the winners of the 2026 World Cup would receive championship rings for the first time in the tournament’s history, alongside the iconic World Cup trophy and gold medals.
According to FIFA, the bespoke rings will be produced as a limited edition of 2,026 individually numbered pieces.
Thirty rings are reserved for Spain’s players and officials, while the remaining 1,996 will be sold worldwide as official licensed collectibles.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M
