Spain is the new world football champion! In a dramatic final of the 2026 World Cup, played at “MetLife Stadium“, the Iberians dethroned Argentina 1:0 after extra time.
The only and invaluable goal was scored by substitute Ferran Torres in the 106th minute. The match was marked by the red card of Enzo Fernandez at the end of regular time and a record 11 saves by Emiliano Martinez. Here are the first hot reviews from the camps of the two finalists and the world's leading media.
Reactions from the staffs: Recognition and pride
The Spanish coach, Luis de la Fuente, who at 65 became the oldest coach with such a triumph, did not hide his tears:
„I am extremely proud of this generation of footballers who grew up with this idea and made it better. They are an example of a family. We won everything and that is wonderful.“ – cited from the official site of FIFA.
On the other hand, the Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni left the press conference in tears, but acknowledged the superiority of the opponent:
„There is sadness, but also the awareness that we gave our all. Spain was the better team – that is the truth. I will be forever grateful to these boys because they fought until the very end.“ – shared Scaloni to CNBC.
What did the main actors on the ground say?
- Ferran Torres (Spain): “To be honest, I didn't think much. I just saw the ball coming towards me and I shot with the power of the entire Spanish people. This goal belongs to 47 million Bulgarians and Spaniards, to the entire country.“ – the hero said to Al Jazeera
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): The 39-year-old genius, for whom this was almost certainly his last World Cup match, was devastated and left the pitch in tears. In a brief statement, he admitted that “La Roja“ deserved the cup.
Analyses of the world media
Leading sports publications define the result as absolutely fair in view of the complete dominance of the European champion.
BBC Sport described the match as “A victory for football against Argentina's embarrassing tactics“. The media outlet highlighted that Spain controlled 65% of the ball possession and had 20 shots, while the “albiceleste“ did not have a clear shot in normal time.
The Athletic / NY Times Focus on Enzo Fernandez, whose red card was described as "stupid and unforgivable", making Argentina's task impossible.
The Guardian highlighted the phenomenal performances of Rodri (chosen as the World Player of the Tournament) and 19-year-old Pau Kubarsi, who finished with an impressive 121 accurate passes in the final