Final Recap — Spain 1-0 Argentina (a.e.t.)
Available in US**Spain are world champions.** A final that was 0-0 for 105 minutes was settled by a substitute, **Ferran Torres 106’**, and a header from another sub. Here’s how the last match of the biggest World Cup ever played out — and how every market settled.
At MetLife Stadium, in front of 80,663, Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win their second World Cup and first since 2010. It went to the very edge — goalless through 90 minutes and into the second period of extra time — before two substitutes combined for the only goal. For Aussie punters up at 5am AEST on SBS, it was the kind of final where the outright and the 90-minute market settled on opposite results.
The final at a glance
The winner arrived roughly 39 seconds into the second half of extra time. Pedro Porro delivered to the back post, substitute Nico Williams won the header beating Molina, and substitute Ferran Torres finished first-time with his left foot past Emi Martínez. Two subs, one World Cup. Ferran had come on at 62′ for Oyarzabal and scored his first goal of the tournament in the biggest moment of it.
How it was won — and where Argentina fell short
| Key moment | Detail |
|---|---|
| 0-0 at 90′ | No goals in regulation; the final went to extra time |
| Enzo Fernández red | 2nd yellow, 90+3′, reckless foul on Cubarsí — Argentina down to 10 |
| Ferran Torres 106′ | Porro cross → Nico Williams header → Ferran finish |
| Emi Martínez | 11 saves — the most ever in a World Cup final |
Sources: Wikipedia (2026 FIFA World Cup final); ESPN; Yahoo; FIFA — 19-20 Jul 2026.
Argentina played the closing minutes and extra time a man down after Enzo Fernández was sent off. Even so, Emiliano Martínez was the busiest man on the pitch — 11 saves, a record for a World Cup final. Argentina fell short of back-to-back titles, which would have been the first repeat since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
The number that decides the multi: 0-0 after 90
| Market | Closing line | Result | Settled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1X2 (90 min) | Spain 2.25-2.30 / Draw 2.95-3.00 / Argentina 3.60 | 0-0 after 90 | Draw (X) |
| To lift the trophy (incl. ET/pens) | Spain 1.67 / Argentina 2.30 | Spain won in ET | Spain |
Decimal odds, closing lines for the final (as of 19 Jul 2026). The listed favourites to score — Messi 2.50, Oyarzabal 2.60, Yamal 3.30 — did not; Ferran Torres, an unlisted rotation name deep in longshot territory, did.
The record-breaking champions
Spain didn’t just win — they won a way no champion has before.
| Spain record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Goals conceded | 1 in 8 matches — fewest ever by a World Cup winner |
| Clean sheets | 7 |
| Unbeaten run | 38 internationals — new outright world record (past Italy’s 37) |
| The double | Euro 2024 + World Cup 2026 |
| A first in football | With the women’s 2023 title, first nation ever to hold the men’s and women’s World Cups at once |
Spain won all eight matches on the way to the title. Argentina managed no shot on target across the 120 minutes of the final.
The local angle — a record dawn on SBS
This was appointment viewing in Australia even without the Socceroos. A record 5.26 million Australians tuned in to SBS, the biggest World Cup audience in the broadcaster’s history, for a 5:00am AEST kick-off — free to air and on SBS On Demand, where the full replay and highlights went up within the hour. The tournament reached an estimated 64% of the country across the month.
Post-match: the flashpoint
What they said
"I said gentlemen we have an appointment with history, and we want to be there first." — Luis de la Fuente, Spain coach, as translated by Yahoo Sports (19-20 Jul 2026)
"I just saw the ball coming to me and I just shot with the power of all the Spanish people." — Ferran Torres, match-winner, as translated by Yahoo Sports (19 Jul 2026)
"I feel sad, but I am aware that we played our hearts out." — Lionel Messi, as translated by Bleacher Report (19 Jul 2026)
- Spain 1-0 Argentina (a.e.t.) — Ferran Torres 106′, off a Nico Williams header from a Porro cross. Two subs combined.
- 0-0 after 90: the regulation Draw won the 1X2, while Spain won the to-lift/outright.
- Enzo Fernández sent off (90+3′); Emi Martínez made 11 saves — a final record.
- Spain conceded 1 goal in 8 games and are unbeaten in 38 — a new world record.
- A record 5.26m Australians watched on SBS — the broadcaster’s biggest-ever World Cup audience.
More: Spain’s world-record run, the settled awards board, the final odds & preview and our predictions hub.
