Spain dominated Argentina in the final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to claim its second World Cup victory.
Spain dominated Argentina but it took an extra-time goal for it to capture the World Cup for the first time since 2010.
The Spanish team beat Argentina in a grueling 1-0 match that was deadlocked at 0-0 for the majority of the game. The winning goal was delivered by Spain’s Fernan Torres, a forward, in the 106th minute in extra time.
Spain was favored to win, given its strong performance throughout the tournament, explained Brennann Klein, director of Northeastern University’s NetSI Sport research group. Spain never trailed in any match, conceded only one goal in the tournament, and consistently had the upper hand on its opponents through strong defense and dominance over the ball.
It was that dominance and strong possession that led to Spain’s victory on Sunday, Klein said.
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Spain made 20 shots to Argentina’s two.
“Spain played so well, they looked impenetrable, it seemed like it was always a question of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ they score,” Klein said.
Argentina, by contrast, failed to do much. Its star performer was far and away its goalie, Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, who made a total of 11 saves during the match, the most in any World Cup final ever, Klein said.
Spain’s World Cup victory comes two years after it won the 2024 UEFA European Championship, and three years after Spain’s women’s team lifted the Women’s World Cup trophy.
“To me, that’s really what a national commitment to soccer looks like,” Klein said.
Spain won its first World Cup in 2010 in a 1-0 matchup against the Netherlands.
Stay tuned to NGN Offside for a deeper analysis of the data from the final game by Northeastern’s NetSI Sport.
