Nico Williams, Ferran Torres, and Spain’s adaptable World Cup excellence
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41'
Yellow card
Lisandro MARTINEZ (Argentina) is booked by -
52'
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Leandro PAREDES (Argentina) is booked by -
82'
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Enzo FERNANDEZ (Argentina) is booked by -
90'+2'
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Cristian ROMERO (Argentina) is booked by -
90'+3'
Red card
Enzo FERNANDEZ (Argentina) is booked for -
105'
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Lionel SCALONI (Argentina) is booked by -
106'
Goal
Ferran TORRES (Spain) scores!! -
111'
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Alexis MAC ALLISTER (Argentina) is booked
Spain squad
- Selected
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8 Fabian RUIZ
Midfielder -
10 Dani OLMO
Forward -
12 Pedro PORRO
Defender -
14 Aymeric LAPORTE
Defender -
15 Alex BAENA
Midfielder -
16 RODRI
C Midfielder -
19 Lamine YAMAL
Forward -
21 Mikel OYARZABAL
Forward -
22 Pau CUBARSI
Defender -
23 Unai SIMON
Goalkeeper -
24 Marc CUCURELLA
Defender -
1 David RAYA
Goalkeeper -
2 Marc PUBILL
Defender -
3 Alex GRIMALDO
Defender -
4 Eric GARCIA
Defender -
5 Marcos LLORENTE
Defender -
6 Mikel MERINO
Midfielder -
7 Ferran TORRES
Forward -
9 GAVI
Midfielder -
11 Yeremy PINO
Forward -
13 Joan GARCIA
Goalkeeper -
17 Nico WILLIAMS
Forward -
18 Martin ZUBIMENDI
Midfielder -
20 PEDRI
Midfielder -
25 Victor MUNOZ
Forward -
26 Borja IGLESIAS
Forward
Argentina squad
- Selected
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3 Nicolas TAGLIAFICO
Defender -
4 Gonzalo MONTIEL
Defender -
6 Lisandro MARTINEZ
Defender -
7 Rodrigo DE PAUL
Midfielder -
9 Julian ALVAREZ
Forward -
10 Lionel MESSI
C Forward -
13 Cristian ROMERO
Defender -
15 Nico GONZALEZ
Midfielder -
20 Alexis MAC ALLISTER
Midfielder -
23 Emiliano MARTINEZ
Goalkeeper -
24 Enzo FERNANDEZ
Midfielder -
1 Juan MUSSO
Goalkeeper -
2 Marcos SENESI
Defender -
5 Leandro PAREDES
Midfielder -
8 Valentin BARCO
Midfielder -
11 Giovani Lo Celso
Midfielder -
12 Geronimo RULLI
Goalkeeper -
14 Exequiel PALACIOS
Midfielder -
16 Thiago ALMADA
Forward -
17 Giuliano SIMEONE
Forward -
18 Nico PAZ
Forward -
19 Nicolas OTAMENDI
Defender -
21 Jose Manuel LOPEZ
Forward -
22 Lautaro MARTINEZ
Forward -
25 Facundo MEDINA
Defender -
26 Nahuel MOLINA
Defender
Spain won the 2026 World Cup final in extra-time against Argentina, with substitutes Nico Williams and Ferran Torres combining for the winning goal. The pair had only just come on when Williams, showing sharp awareness of space, headed on a cross to set up Torres, ending a tense and physical contest in which Argentina's disciplined defending had otherwise frustrated Spain's dominant possession play.
The decisive move came in the 106th minute, when full-back Pedro Porro delivered a lofted cross that Williams headed into the path of Torres to score. Williams, an Athletic Club winger who was central to Spain's Euro 2024 triumph, had struggled with injuries throughout the tournament and had not started a single game, his introduction against Argentina marking his longest appearance. Argentina, managed by Lionel Scaloni and reduced to ten men late on after Enzo Fernández's red card, had set up to deny space to forward Mikel Oyarzabal, pushing Spain to attempt eleven of their 20 shots from outside the box before the late breakthrough.
- Spain beat Argentina in extra-time to win the World Cup.
- Substitutes Nico Williams and Ferran Torres combined for the winner.
- Williams, injury-hit all tournament, set up Torres in the 106th minute.