NEW JERSEY (Monitoring): — Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win the men’s World Cup for the second time, becoming the first nation to hold both the men’s and women’s world titles simultaneously. Forward Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute, converting a header from substitute Nico Williams past Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez from close range.
The match featured frequent physical disruptions and limited offensive fluency, with Spain generating the majority of the scoring opportunities. Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal both forced first-half saves from Martínez, while the Spanish team frequently questioned referee Slavko Vinčić’s officiating consistency regarding physical challenges, including an uncarded tackle by Alexis Mac Allister on Dani Olmo. The first caution of the match came in the 40th minute when Argentina’s Lisandro Martínez fouled Oyarzabal, with the Manchester United defender being substituted shortly after due to an injury.
Argentina, the defending champions, relied heavily on a defensive approach throughout the contest. Their disciplinary issues culminated in regular-time stoppage time when midfielder Enzo Fernández received a second yellow card for a tackle on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí, reducing Argentina to 10 men before the extra-time period. Despite the disadvantage, keeper Martínez made several critical saves to keep Argentina in the match, including stopping a late free-kick from Yamal in the final seconds of normal time and denying a header from Williams in extra time. Spain also had a temporary setback when a goal by Williams was disallowed following a foul by Mikel Merino on Nicolás Otamendi in the build-up.
Away from the pitch, the event attracted high-profile political and entertainment figures. U.S. President Donald Trump arrived at the stadium via helicopter prior to kick-off, while the tournament featured the first-ever extended World Cup half-time show with performances by Shakira, Madonna, and Justin Bieber, which extended the standard interval to 27 minutes. With the victory, Spain concludes a tournament run that denies Argentina a consecutive title following the South American side’s previous knockout stage victories over Egypt and England.
