Spain 1-0 Argentina: Five key takeaways from FIFA World Cup 2026 final

La Roja are now two-time FIFA World Cup champions!

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the FIFA World Cup for the second time in the assumed La Finalissima.

La Roja dominated Lionel Scaloni’s men in terms of ball possession and attacking prowess, as La Albiceleste also contained the pressure for nearly 106 minutes, as they did not concede a single goal despite losing both their primary centre-backs, Lisandro Martínez and Cristian Romero, to injury.

Barcelona forward Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game to help the European champions take on the global crown (106′). Argentina tried fighting back in the last few remaining minutes of the game, but it was too late as they failed to convert any goal-scoring opportunity.

La Albiceleste also played extra time with 10 players after Enzo Fernández was sent off during injury time in the regular period. With the loss, Messi has failed to become the only player to win two World Cup titles as a captain, but it would be fair to say that La Masia graduates did a great job.

On that note, let’s take a look at the five key takeaways from the FIFA World Cup 2026 clash:

5. Emiliano Martinez showed up in the final

Unarguably, Emiliano Martinez was the best performer for La Albiceleste in the regulation time. The Aston Villa custodian did not keep a clean sheet in five consecutive matches, conceding seven goals; however, in the summit clash, he gave one of the best performances of his career.

Emiliano Martinez made 11 saves before Ferran Torres finally broke the deadlock in the 106th minute of the game. The 33-year-old was criticised for his performance in the knockout games, but he eventually turned up when the whole team struggled.

4. The ‘strict’ half-time rule is broken

FIFA’s half-time rule states that the gap between the two halves should not exceed 15 minutes. However, the halftime of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Spain and Argentina lasted exactly 27 minutes and 24 seconds. It was just two minutes less than the effective playing time of the first half (29:42).

The whole FIFA World Cup 2026 will forever be remembered by the football world for famous as well as infamous reasons, and the halftime show will probably go in the latter category.

3. Mikel Oyarzabal isn’t reliable

Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal enjoyed a stellar World Cup campaign. He became only the third Spanish attacker to have scored five goals in a single season. However, the Real Sociedad forward failed to score against higher-ranked opponents as his performance looked sluggish.

Oyarzabal netted two braces, against Saudi Arabia and Austria, and converted a penalty against France. Other than that, his performances were primarily lacklustre. Against La Albiceleste, he had only one shot on target and otherwise failed to convert chances, not looking like La Roja’s expected frontman.

Also Read: Who is Ferran Torres? Spain forward who scored winner vs Argentina in FIFA World Cup 2026 Final

2. The goalless first-half curse continues

Including the FIFA World Cup 2026, nine finals have ended level at halftime. Argentina have been involved in three of them, losing all three. Additionally, they also created 0.00 xG in the entire regulation time, having only two touches in the opposition box.

Lionel Scaloni’s men did not take a single shot. It’s the first time in World Cup history that La Albiceleste, the attack that included Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez, had zero shots in the regulation time. Meanwhile, Spain had 20 overall shots in 90 minutes, out of which 12 were on target.

Even when the game ended, La Albiceleste had zero shots on target, created no big chances, and committed 25 fouls.

1. La Roja all the way with 38 games unbeaten

Spain are unarguably the best national team in the world. After containing Didier Deschamps’ France in the semi-finals, which had an attack featuring Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise, La Roja did not allow Argentina to break their tactical framework.

Luis de la Fuente has transformed the side into a tactical powerhouse that is difficult to penetrate in attack, even when rotated. Pau Cubarsi is one of the most talented young players in football, and his name will be taken in the same conversation as Lamine Yamal.

Meanwhile, Unai Simon was in his own lane throughout the tournament, keeping seven clean sheets in eight matches and conceding only one goal. Spain captain Rodri was also the unsung hero. La Roja are currently unbeaten in 38 consecutive games, breaking a tie with Italy.

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