Victory for football? Spain triumph over 'embarrassing' Argentina

ByEmma Smith

BBC Sport journalist

Describing a effect arsenic a 'victory for football' mightiness look similar a trite cliche - but you won't find galore neutrals disagreeing with that statement of Spain's triumph successful the 2026 World Cup final.

When Ferran Torres slammed successful the extra-time winner, and Rodri lifted the trophy precocious successful New Jersey, it is hard to ideate galore volition person had sympathy for Argentina.

Spain triumphed successful a conflict of endurance, for players and spectators, to bushed the Argentines and triumph their 2nd men's World Cup.

On each shot metric - and, immoderate would say, morality excessively - this was the close result.

"There is nary uncertainty that the close squad won," erstwhile England skipper Alan Shearer said connected BBC One. "From commencement to finish, Spain controlled possession. They were the ones looking to play football, make chances and get successful behind.

"This is simply a effect for shot due to the fact that of the mode that they person played. Spain merit it."

Spain had 65% possession, an expected goals tally of 1.94 and 20 shots connected extremity - 11 connected target.

At the different end, goalkeeper Unai Simon kept his seventh cleanable expanse successful 8 matches arsenic helium won the Golden Glove for the tournament's champion goalkeeper.

Spain conceded conscionable 1 extremity astatine the 2026 World Cup - the fewest conceded by immoderate winning team.

Spain are - adjacent successful the hard-to-quantify satellite of planetary shot - intelligibly the preeminent broadside successful the world.

They are world, Olympic and European champions - not to notation women's satellite champions too. The men are present unbeaten successful their past 38 matches successful each competitions - the longest tally by immoderate European squad successful history.

They stumbled retired of the gates successful this World Cup with a 0-0 gully against Cape Verde - meaning connected some occasions Spain person won the satellite rubric they person failed to triumph their opener, pursuing a 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Switzerland successful 2010.

But since past they person been among the astir apt candidates to triumph the lot.

And successful the final, their prime showed.

There person lone been 3 instances connected grounds of a subordinate completing 100 oregon much passes successful a World Cup final. Two of those were Spain players connected Sunday - Rodri with 101, and Pau Cubarsi with 121.

And for galore of the squad, this mightiness conscionable beryllium the start.

Cubarsi, 19, was named young subordinate of the tournament, portion it seems precise apt his Barcelona team-mate Lamine Yamal has his champion years ahead.

At 19 years and six days, Lamine Yamal became the third-youngest subordinate to play successful a World Cup final, aft Pele successful 1958 and Giuseppe Bergomi successful 1982. He is present the 3rd youngest winner.

Argentina are truthful often painted arsenic the pantomime villains of planetary shot - peculiarly by England fans.

As they did successful the semi-final against the Three Lions, they appeared successful the archetypal fractional to beryllium much funny successful stopping immoderate semblance of shot occurring than playing the crippled themselves.

Leandro Paredes was the spoiler successful chief, with Enzo Fernandez his deputy.

Though 4 Argentina players were booked, galore volition consciousness that adds further to the mentation they person had lenient attraction from officials astatine this tournament.

Argentina made a full of 464 passes, compared to Spain's 852.

But, dissimilar England, Spain did not wilt successful the 2nd half. Had they won this crippled agelong earlier Torres' 106th-minute onslaught determination could person been fewer complaints.

Argentina's Emiliano Martinez had to marque 11 saves - the astir by immoderate goalkeeper connected grounds successful a World Cup final.

At the different end, meanwhile, the defending champions became the archetypal squad successful World Cup past not to person a changeable successful 90 minutes of a final. Their archetypal effort came via a cowed Lionel Messi successful the 117th minute.

Argentina mislaid their crown, and the scenes that followed the whistle led galore to consciousness they had mislaid their dignity, too.

Fernandez was archetypal shown a yellowish paper for dissent, past a 2nd for a spectacularly precocious situation that sent Cubarsi somersaulting.

After the full-time whistle, Paredes was progressive successful scraps with Rodri, Gavi and Borja Iglesias and squad mate Nahuel Molina was seen throwing a punch astatine a passing Spain subordinate too.

"Embarrassing, seeing that benignant of worldly aft the crippled has been played," said BBC pundit Wayne Rooney. "Someone has been crowned World Cup champions. It is not bully enough.

"Paredes is amended than that. It doesn't halt there. He keeps going and going."

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni attempted to support his side's show done floods of tears astatine his post-match media conference, but could lone admit the champion squad had won.

"Even though they were out-playing america until the 85th minute, I would emotion to cognize what would person happened had we inactive had 11 men connected the pitch," helium said of Fernandez's dismissal.

"We managed to spell each the mode to the extremity erstwhile the lucifer was truthful unfastened and it conscionable couldn't be. They deserved the victory, that is the reality."

Argentina mightiness person taken the World Cup last to other clip - the 5th of the past six to spell that acold - but that could not disguise their inferiority.

"Argentina tin person perfectly nary complaints astir what happened," erstwhile England goalkeeper Joe Hart told BBC One. "Disgusting behaviour.

"I don't deliberation Rodri needed to get successful their faces but you recognize that aft 120 minutes wherever you person been coiled up and you thought you've been wronged, and the referee has been connected your back."