How Spain shut down Messi, Argentina to capture World Cup

Spain completely shut down Lionel Messi and Argentina to claim the men's World Cup title for the second time in history. Relive all the action below.

SPAIN WINS WORLD CUP 🏆

Just as it was in 2010, Spain is the world champion after a 1-0 win in extra time. It was the Netherlands 16 years ago, and now Argentina is smothered by La Roja's incessant possession-based game in the final.

Spain, the dominant force at this summer's World Cup, gets a fully deserved victory over Lionel Messi and Co. after restricting the Albiceleste to only two shot attempts - none on target! - in a stifling performance; Argentina is the first team in World Cup final history to fail to record a shot on target.

Argentina's expected goals total in the 107th minute of the match, right after Spain scored? It was still sitting at 0.00. That's utter dominance, especially against an Argentine side that came into the final with a tournament-leading 19 goals. Spain finishes the competition with just a single goal conceded; Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere will be the answer to a trivia question one day.

The only thing that was missing for Spain on Sunday was a goal - it looked like it may never arrive - but Luis de la Fuente's men finally got it through Ferran Torres in the 106th minute after pounding at Emiliano Martinez's door the entire game. The Barcelona forward joins Andres Iniesta in Spanish lore as scorers of the nation's two World Cup-winning extra-time goals.

Spain is now the first nation ever to hold both the men's and women's World Cup titles at the same time. A footballing powerhouse in every possible way.

Argentina's final push

120th minute: Argentina, now forced to attack, is finally doing just that for the first time in the entire match. Now Spain, despite being up a man, is holding on for dear life inside its own penalty area. Giuliano Simeone takes a swing from close range after a corner kick but skies the ball over the bar. Was that Argentina's final chance?

GOAL! Spain 1, Argentina 0 🚨

106th minute: Spain finally breaks the deadlock coming right out of the extra-time interval. It took them 20 shot attempts and over 100 minutes, but the Spaniards lead 10-man Argentina after Ferran Torres' thunderous finish. The reigning champion must now try and conjure up something special to turn this around and retain its title.

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Argentina hanging on

105th minute: This has been a monumental physical performance from Argentina to dig deep and keep Spain off the board through 105 minutes. How much longer can they hold on?

Goal disallowed 🤔

97th minute: Spain has the ball in the net for the first time, but the goal is called back for an apparent foul by Mikel Merino on Nicolas Otamendi. The Spanish players are perplexed. You be the judge.

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Extra time underway

Can Argentina, which still doesn't have a shot on target and is now playing with 10 men after Enzo Fernandez's late red card, survive and push this match to a shootout, or will Spain finally find a way past Emiliano Martinez? Extra time in the World Cup final is underway.

HUGE late save

98th minute: Lamine Yamal's wicked free-kick is denied by a diving Emiliano Martinez with one of the final kicks of normal time. To extra time we go!

Enzo sent off at the death 🟥

93rd minute: Wow. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez is shown a second yellow card for a foul on Pau Cubarsi in stoppage time. Argentina, defiant defensively all game, will play extra time with 10 men if the match gets there. Fernandez is the sixth player to ever be sent off in a World Cup final.

Who will be the hero?

85th minute: Argentina continues to be unwilling to commit any players forward, but Spain hasn't been capable of creating the decisive opening despite some half-chances and one good look for Ferran Torres. Extra time is looming here.

Merino to the rescue?

75th minute: Spain is turning to its auxiliary striker Mikel Merino to try and break the deadlock. The midfielder, who has multiple match-winning goals in this tournament already, is on the pitch along with Nico Williams as Spain pushes to find the opener. After another mini onslaught, Spain now has seven shots on target. Argentina is still seeking its first.

Another Argentina injury? 🤕

70th minute: Cristian Romero went down during the hydration break, and he's now been replaced by Facundo Medina. That means Argentina has now been forced to replace both starting center-backs. Giuliano Simeone is also on for Rodrigo De Paul, meaning Argentina has used all five of its subs. Lautaro Martinez, often Argentina's hero off the bench in this tournament, won't see the pitch if the match ends in 90 minutes.

BIG chance for Spain

66th minute: It's one-way traffic in the second half. Spain creates the best opportunity of the match so far after Lamine Yamal somehow squeezes through two defenders and lifts a cross that Ferran Torres meets with a powerful header. Unfortunately for the Spanish substitute, it's directly into the grateful arms of Emiliano Martinez. The hydration break comes at a good time for Lionel Scaloni's men.

Interesting changes for Spain

61st minute: After a promising free-kick comes to nothing, Luis de la Fuente turns to his bench for the first time. Leading scorer Mikel Oyarzabal and midfielder Fabian Ruiz are replaced by Ferran Torres and Pedri.

That's more like it

55th minute: For the first time in the match, Spain makes three quick, crisp passes in succession from back to front and slices through Argentina to create a threatening opening, but the Argentines recover at the last second to stop a shot attempt inside the penalty area.

Kerfuffle after yellow card 🟨

52nd minute: Leandro Paredes makes his presence known almost immediately with an unnecessary shove into the back of Rodri. The Spanish captain certainly made too much of the contact, but Paredes goes into the book nonetheless, and the players engage in some light pushing after the incident. It's all very stop-start here, which will please Argentina more.

Sloppy start from both sides

47th minute: Both teams are taking turns giving the ball away in the opening seconds of the second half, but neither side was punished for that sloppiness. The sequence ends with Argentina's first corner of the match, but it comes to nothing.

2nd half underway

The players are back on the pitch after the historic 27-minute halftime show. Argentina has made the only change, with dependable midfielder Leandro Paredes being introduced for Nico Gonzalez. Will that help Argentina grab more control in midfield?

Three of the last four World Cup finals that were goalless at halftime ended that way after 90 minutes and went to extra time. Which team will break the deadlock here?

Halftime analysis 📋

➡️ Messi stifled ... so far: Argentina didn't attempt a single shot in the first half - the reigning champion didn't even have a touch inside the Spanish penalty area - but I don't think the Albiceleste will be too disappointed with the way the match has unfolded so far. Spain has had all of the ball but hasn't been able to truly put Emiliano Martinez under much threat aside from some long-range efforts and promising plays out wide that eventually fizzled out. The biggest issue for Argentina is that Messi hasn't been able to get on the ball, but we know that he can spring to life and decide the match at any second, which will keep Spain honest.

➡️ Long balls to Nico: Nico Gonzalez's inclusion in the starting lineup was the biggest surprise decision from Lionel Scaloni, but it's been clear why he opted for the wide midfielder. Argentina's primary route out from the back has been to try long aerial balls to Gonzalez, who is excellent in the air. The problem is that even when he's winning them, there's nobody else around him to pick up the loose ball and get Argentina on the offensive. It'll be interesting to see how long Scaloni persists with that approach in the second half.

➡️ Spain too slow: For all of Spain's possession and control - Rodri has bossed the match in midfield - the Spaniards keep hitting a blue-and-white wall when they get into the final third. The passing around the box has been a little too slow, and Spain hasn't been able to find Dani Olmo in the pockets of space that he loves to exploit. Lamine Yamal, after some bright early moments, has largely been quiet as well. Spain will need to lift the tempo coming out of the extended halftime interval to break down an Argentine backline that is now without the injured Lisandro Martinez.

HT: Spain 0, Argentina 0

It's not a classic so far, but perhaps that was to be expected between two teams so evenly matched and two managers with such respect for one another. Spain has enjoyed more possession - to the surprise of absolutely nobody - but Argentina has, for the most part, looked solid and compact defensively.

Martinez leaves with injury 🤕

44th minute: Just minutes after receiving a yellow card, Lisandro Martinez is forced to leave the contest with an apparent injury. Veteran center-back Nicolas Otamendi, who played every minute of the 2022 World Cup, comes on in Martinez's place for Argentina. Otamendi, 38, is the second-oldest outfield player to ever feature in a World Cup final, behind only his 39-year-old captain Lionel Messi.

1st yellow card 🟨

41st minute: Lisandro Martinez is the first player in the book after a foul on Mikel Oyarzabal. The Argentine center-back will need to be careful for the remainder of the contest.

Spain lifts the tempo

39th minute: Spain manages to connect on a few quick, incisive passes around the Argentina box for the first time, and it results in a decent low shot from Mikel Oyarzabal. That's better from Spain, which has had all the possession thus far but has moved the ball a little too slowly.

Who will flinch first?

35th minute: There's only been one shot attempt in total in the match so far. Unai Simon, in particular, has mostly been a spectator, though Emiliano Martinez has been quite comfortable in the Argentine goal as well.

Spain bench not happy

29th minute: Lamine Yamal twists away from Nicolas Tagliafico right in front of the Spanish bench before being dragged down by the left-back. No card, and the Spain subs aren't happy. Slavko Vincic is letting them play so far.

Argentina too passive

22nd minute: Argentina is happy to sit relatively deep so far and try to pounce on any wayward Spanish passes, with Lionel Messi yet to really get any sustained possession or space to exploit. It's all very tense as we hit the first-half hydration break, with neither side willing to take too many chances. As expected, then.

Not a yellow?

15th minute: Alexis Mac Allister somehow escapes a yellow card for a wild lunging tackle on Dani Olmo that leaves the Spanish playmaker in a heap on the ground and questioning referee Slavko Vincic.

Spanish plan

12th minute: Spain is finding some success with big, sweeping switches of play to either side of the pitch; Lamine Yamal is trying to stay wide against Nicolas Tagliafico, while Alex Baena is doing the same on the opposite flank. That's also giving Spain some extra space in the middle of the field.

Rodri is flying

8th minute: Spain's captain is everywhere early in the match, dropping deep to collect possession in the buildup phase and also sprinting forward with the ball at his feet toward the edge of the Argentina penalty area. Good start for Spain overall, with the match settling into the expected pattern.

Yamal threatening early

5th minute: Lamine Yamal gets onto the ball for the first time and immediately creates two opportunities in quick succession, but Argentina nervously survives with a pair of scrappy clearances. The final is quickly coming to life.

Spain wants the ball

1st minute: Spain immediately tries to gets its passing game going, which we expect to be a staple of this contest over the 90 minutes.

Here we go

After an extended pregame ceremony that featured multiple musical numbers and an on-field monologue from Tom Cruise, the 2026 World Cup final is set to begin. Ninety minutes - or more! - to decide the world champion. Argentina and Spain are ready. Let's go.

Pregame notes

Starting XIs

Spain (4-1-2-3) 🇪🇸

Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri; Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo; Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal, Lamine Yamal

Argentina (4-4-2) 🇦🇷

Emiliano Martinez; Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Nico Gonzalez; Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente, perhaps unsurprisingly, has opted for the same starting lineup that outplayed France in the semifinals, which means Fabian Ruiz retains his place in midfield over Barcelona star Pedri.

Lamine Yamal, 19, becomes the first teenager to start in both a World Cup and European Championship final.

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Lionel Scaloni, on the other hand, has made three changes to his lineup from Argentina's victory over England. Nico Gonzalez, who made a massive impact off the bench in the semifinals, comes into the team on the left side of midfield, and will be tasked with helping to defend against Yamal while also trying to stretch the field and pin Pedro Porro deep.

Rodrigo De Paul's inclusion at the expense of Leandro Paredes is another intriguing move. With Spain expected to dominate possession, De Paul's ability to push higher in midfield should help Argentina's pressing game. Meanwhile, Gonzalo Montiel, who converted the winning penalty in the final four years ago, replaces Nahuel Molina in a like-for-like swap at right-back.

Matchup for the ages

We really couldn't have asked for much more than this.

The 2026 World Cup has dazzled on the pitch for the past six weeks, and it culminates with an unprecedented showdown: this is the first time the World Cup final has ever featured a meeting between the reigning European and South American champions - Argentina, of course, is also the defending world champion. It's certainly befitting of the occasion.

Lionel Messi, 39, is set to join Brazilian icon Cafu as the only players in history to appear in three World Cup finals. "Storybook" doesn't even begin to describe the potential scene if he leads Argentina to another title in what will almost certainly be his final World Cup match.

Opposite the living legend is Lamine Yamal, the 19-year-old Spanish superstar who's inherited the proverbial torch from Messi at Barcelona. He could firmly establish himself as the game's leading light if he outshines his Argentine counterpart in the ultimate full-circle meeting.

1st goal is vital

No kidding, right? This is obviously true of any football match, but the importance of scoring first is heightened in the World Cup final. The team that's opened the scoring has gone on to claim the trophy in six of the last seven editions of this showpiece match, with France in 2006 the only outlier.

Breaking the deadlock is particularly important in this specific matchup.

Spain hasn't trailed for a single minute at this tournament, conceding just one goal en route to the final. Notably, only three teams have won the World Cup without trailing in the competition (Italy in 1938 and 1982, and Germany in 1990).

Spain's backline has proven almost impenetrable, thanks in large part to La Roja's possession-based style, which suffocates the opposition into submission. Scoring first would allow Spain to settle into its patient pass-and-possess game and then pick Argentina apart as the Albiceleste commit more players forward in search of an equalizer or another dramatic recovery.

Argentina may boast the greatest player we've ever seen and has already showcased an uncanny ability to overcome late deficits, but chasing the game against this Spanish side isn't a recipe for success.

Conversely, we've yet to see how Spain might react to conceding the first goal. With Rodri steering the ship and providing the ultimate calming presence from the base of midfield, Spain seems unlikely to unravel should Argentina take the lead in New Jersey. Still, it would only add an element of intrigue to an already fascinating matchup.

How to watch

United States 🇺🇸

English: Fox, FS1, and the Fox One app
Spanish: Telemundo and Universo

Canada 🇨🇦

English: TSN (1/3/4/5), CTV, and Crave
French: RDS

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