Spain officially cemented their place among footballing royalty on Sunday, producing an extraordinary masterclass of total possession and pressing to defeat defending champions Argentina 1-0 and claim their second FIFA World Cup crown at MetLife Stadium. Forward Ferran Torres scored the crucial lone goal in what developed into a completely one-sided showpiece clash, capping off a remarkable summer campaign for Luis de la Fuente’s men on American soil.From the opening whistle, La Roja dictated every phase of the contest with ruthless tactical authority. Spain completely starved Lionel Messi and his team of the ball, stringing together long, hypnotic passing sequences through Rodri and Pedri while pinning the South American champions deep inside their own defensive third.The decisive breakthrough finally arrived midway through the second half when teenage phenom Lamine Yamal carved open the opposition backline with a sharp diagonal pass, finding Ferran Torres, who took one precise touch before calmly slotting a low strike into the bottom corner. Argentina appeared completely powerless to respond, failing to record a single shot on target across the entire 90 minutes as Spain comfortably controlled the tempo straight to the final whistle.With this commanding triumph in New Jersey, Spain officially adds a second golden star above their national crest, joining their maiden victory from South Africa in 2010. By lifting the famous golden trophy once again, they become only the eighth nation in international football history to win multiple World Cup titles, entering an elite fraternity long dominated by powerhouse nations like Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Uruguay, and France.
Complete List of FIFA World Cup Champions (1930–2026)
Spain’s historic victory at MetLife Stadium officially updates the global roll of honor across all 23 editions of the tournament:
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-Up | Host Nation |
| 1930 | Uruguay | 4–2 | Argentina | Uruguay |
| 1934 | Italy | 2–1 (aet) | Czechoslovakia | Italy |
| 1938 | Italy | 4–2 | Hungary | France |
| 1950 | Uruguay | 2–1 | Brazil | Brazil |
| 1954 | West Germany | 3–2 | Hungary | Switzerland |
| 1958 | Brazil | 5–2 | Sweden | Sweden |
| 1962 | Brazil | 3–1 | Czechoslovakia | Chile |
| 1966 | England | 4–2 (aet) | West Germany | England |
| 1970 | Brazil | 4–1 | Italy | Mexico |
| 1974 | West Germany | 2–1 | Netherlands | West Germany |
| 1978 | Argentina | 3–1 (aet) | Netherlands | Argentina |
| 1982 | Italy | 3–1 | West Germany | Spain |
| 1986 | Argentina | 3–2 | West Germany | Mexico |
| 1990 | West Germany | 1–0 | Argentina | Italy |
| 1994 | Brazil | 0–0 (3–2 p) | Italy | United States |
| 1998 | France | 3–0 | Brazil | France |
| 2002 | Brazil | 2–0 | Germany | Japan & South Korea |
| 2006 | Italy | 1–1 (5–3 p) | France | Germany |
| 2010 | Spain | 1–0 (aet) | Netherlands | South Africa |
| 2014 | Germany | 1–0 (aet) | Argentina | Brazil |
| 2018 | France | 4–2 | Croatia | Russia |
| 2022 | Argentina | 3–3 (4–2 p) | France | Qatar |
| 2026 | Spain | 1–0 | Argentina | USA, Canada & Mexico |
