Spain beat Argentina in World Cup final watched by 15.8m Britons
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
1-0
Finished
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41'
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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'
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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 have been confirmed as FIFA World Cup champions after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final, played in New York, in a result that likely brings Lionel Messi's international tournament career to a close. Despite the defeat, Argentine media outlets such as Clarín and La Nación praised their team's performance and commitment, framing the run as a source of national pride rather than dwelling on the loss.
The final drew a substantial UK audience of 15.8 million viewers across BBC One and BBC iPlayer, underlining the scale of interest in the tournament. The half-time show, featuring Madonna and Justin Bieber, attracted widespread criticism from viewers over its quality and became a talking point in its own right. Other storylines from the tournament included the popularity of Lamine Yamal's three-year-old brother as an unexpected fan favourite, and renewed attention on EA Sports FC's pre-tournament simulation, which had predicted the outcome.
- Spain beat Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup final in New York
- Final watched by 15.8m Britons on BBC; Madonna half-time show panned
- Result likely marks the end of Messi's international tournament career
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Spain have won the FIFA World Cup, beating Argentina 1-0 in a final held in New York. Argentina's star player, Lionel Messi, is widely expected to have played his last World Cup, having been a defining figure of the sport for two decades. Coverage of the result in Argentina has focused on pride in the team's overall performance rather than the defeat itself.
The match also drew huge attention in Britain, with 15.8 million people watching on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, reflecting how closely followed the tournament was even outside the two competing nations. Alongside the football, the event generated its own set of talking points, including reaction to the half-time entertainment and interest in other figures connected to the competing squads.
The scale of the viewing figures, and the wider cultural chatter around the final, illustrate how a World Cup final tends to become a moment that reaches well beyond regular football fans.
Coverage
- The Guardian — ‘Beyond reproach’: Argentinian media praises Scaloni’s team despite World Cup final defeat
- BBC World — Lamine Yamal celebrates World Cup win with little brother who charmed fans
- BBC Sport — World Cup final watched by 15.8m people on BBC
- Eurogamer — EA Sports FC simulations correctly predicted the FIFA World Cup winner would be Spain, and it’s not the first time it has happened
- Stereogum — The World Cup Finals Halftime Show And The Post Malone Pre-Show Were Absurd
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