APTOPIX Argentina Spain WCup Soccer
Argentina's Lisandro Martinez (6) fouls Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal (21) during the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Spain substitute Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to give his team a 1-0 win over defending champion Argentina in the World Cup final. Spain was absolutely dominant in terms of possession and shot attempts. Lionel Messi and Argentina found a way to hang on and force extra time — but barely. And in the opening moment of the second 15-minute period of extra time, Torres pounced on a bouncing ball in the box and used his left foot to bury a shot just under the crossbar and into the back of the net.
Spanish soccer has reached a level of its own. Spain’s World Cup victory on Sunday added to the nation’s long list of recent triumphs across men’s, women’s and youth competitions. It highlighted the dominance of a system that has stuck to a tactical identity and the development of collective talent. The men’s team is also the current European champion, the Olympic gold medalist and has reached the Nations League final twice, winning once. The women’s squad is the defending World Cup champion and a two-time Nations League winner, and it made it to the final of the 2025 European Championship.
European nations vow to boycott World Cup, other FIFA tournaments over Infantino private equity plan
UEFA member federations will boycott all FIFA competitions in protest of Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors. The European soccer body says it's a unanimous decision after an urgent online meeting of the 55 members. The strategy meeting was called to counter FIFA president Infantino’s offer of $20 million to each of its 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September. Infantino’s secret proposal was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a $20 billion operation 20% owned by private investors.
