Spain beat Argentina to win 2026 World Cup and eye a longer reign
Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina gave La Roja a second World Cup and a Euro-World Cup double under Luis de la Fuente.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Spain’s golden summer ended with another trophy in the cabinet: La Roja beat Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, with Ferran Torres scoring the winner in extra time at MetLife Stadium, CBS Sports reported.
The goal arrived in the 106th minute, early in the second period of extra time, after Argentina had been reduced to 10 men. CBS Sports said Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the closing minutes of regulation.
Managed by Luis de la Fuente, Spain claimed the country’s second World Cup, adding 2026 to its 2010 title. The win also completed a major international double after Spain’s UEFA Euro 2024 triumph two years earlier.
Spain controlled the final before the breakthrough
CBS Sports’ Francesco Porzio reported that Spain had the stronger grip on the match both before and after Argentina’s red card, but had to wait until extra time to find the opening.
Argentina’s attack barely troubled Spain for most of the night. According to CBS Sports, Argentina did not register its first shot of any kind until the 117th minute, as the defending finalists pushed late for an equalizer that never came.
The result closed the first 48-team men’s World Cup, which CBS Sports described as a 40-day tournament full of major matches, upsets and memorable moments.
Why CBS Sports sees a Spain run forming
The win has already kicked off talk of a new Spanish era. CBS Sports’ Chuck Booth wrote that Spain’s squad could be positioned for another charge in 2030, when the country will be among the hosts.
Booth pointed to Lamine Yamal as a central reason for that optimism, noting that he will be 23 by the time the 2030 World Cup arrives. Booth also wrote that Yamal had already completed a tournament as Spain’s best player.
Booth added that Spain’s core, barring injuries, should be able to return for the next World Cup with the benefit of a title-winning run behind it. He also identified France as another team built to push for the 2030 crown.
Lionel Messi’s future with Argentina was raised around the tournament conversation, but CBS Sports did not report a retirement decision from him in the details published with its Monday soccer roundup.
Club soccer comes back into view
With the World Cup finished, the calendar is already swinging back toward club soccer. CBS Sports reported that MLS is resuming in full, while Europe’s top leagues are set to begin in just over a month.
The Monday and Tuesday viewing slate listed by CBS Sports includes a friendly between Sporting CP and Strasbourg at 3:15 p.m. Monday on Fubo.
Tuesday’s schedule includes Copa Sudamericana matches, with Nacional against Tigre at 6 p.m. and UCV against Santos at 8:30 p.m., both on beIN. Liga MX follows with Cruz Azul against Puebla at 9 p.m. and Toluca against Pumas at 11:05 p.m., both on TUDN.
For Spain, though, the club reset comes after the biggest international prize. A Euro title in 2024, a World Cup in 2026 and a young core still in place have turned the next four-year cycle into a chase everyone else now has to answer.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.