The decisive moment arrived in the 106th minute at MetLife Stadium, when substitute Ferran Torres lashed a left-footed finish beneath the crossbar after Nico Williams headed the ball back across goal. The strike settled a final that Spain had controlled from the opening whistle, outshooting Argentina 20-2 and completing 845 passes to their opponent’s 433. As the Spanish players celebrated, several crossed the pitch to console Lionel Messi, who sank to the turf and later walked through a guard of honour formed by the new champions to collect his runners-up medal.

Spain’s dominance was built on a defensive structure that conceded only once across eight tournament matches. Coach Luis de la Fuente later confirmed that containing Messi was the primary objective, and the plan worked: the 39-year-old failed to create a single chance for a teammate for the first time in his World Cup career, managing only 54 touches and no shots on target. Argentina’s task grew harder when midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off for a second yellow card late in regulation time, leaving the defending champions to play the entirety of extra time with ten men.

For Messi, the defeat closed a World Cup chapter that began in 2006 and included a record 34 appearances, 21 goals, and 12 assists. He became only the second player after Brazil’s Cafu to start three finals, yet the evening ended with tears as Argentine supporters chanted his name in tribute. Coach Lionel Scaloni described him as “the best football player ever stepping foot on a pitch,” while Spanish fans in Madrid, where celebrations led to seven arrests but were otherwise peaceful, acknowledged his legacy even as they revelled in victory.

Viewed from Buenos Aires, the loss was met with a mixture of heartbreak and pride, with thousands honouring their captain despite the defeat. In the Middle East, some Palestinian communities celebrated Spain’s win as a rare moment of collective joy. The result also extended La Roja’s unbeaten sequence to 38 matches, a European record, and confirmed a generational shift under De la Fuente, who has now added the World Cup to the UEFA Nations League and Euro 2024 titles won with a core of players he first coached at youth level.

Spain’s triumph carries a historic dimension: the country becomes the first to hold the men’s and women’s World Cup simultaneously, following the women’s team’s victory in 2023. For Argentina, the defeat ends a cycle that delivered the 2022 title and back-to-back Copa América trophies, leaving the post-Messi era to begin without the fairytale finish many had imagined.