Torres helps Spain lift trophy
Fernandez gets red card, forcing Argentina to play ET with 10 men
Spain's Ferran Torres celebrates scoring against Argentina in extra time of the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to lift Spain to its second FIFA World Cup title with a 1-0 win in extra time over gutsy, 10-man Argentina in Sunday's final.
Torres' deserved winner came 16 years and eight days after Andres Iniesta also scored in extra time to lift the Spaniards to their first World Championship with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.
It came on La Roja's 20th shot of the contest against defending champion Argentina, which failed to manage any shots to that point and struggled to wrest possession away from its superior Iberian opponents.
That was true at even strength and became more difficult when the Albiceleste's numbers were reduced after Enzo Fernandez's late challenge of Pau Cubarsi left referee Slavko Vincic no choice but to produce a second caution just before the end of normal time.
Spain remains the only nation ever to win a European Championship and World Cup in successive tournaments, having now done so a second time. The Spaniards are also the first World Cup champion ever to concede only once across an entire tournament.
Lionel Messi's Argentina failed to earn a title for the first time in three major tournaments, having captured the 2021 and 2024 Copa Americas as well as the 2022 World Cup.
Messi, the 39-year-old eighttime Ballon d'Or winner, finished the competition with eight goals and four assists, but had little time on the ball until Spain finally took the lead and never seriously looked like lifting his side to another great moment as he has so many times in the last two World Cup cycles.
Emi Martinez made 11 saves for the Albiceleste, who fell short in their bid to be the first consecutive World Cup champions since Brazil won the 1958 and 1962 titles.
What had felt so difficult for the first 105 minutes suddenly looked easy after 37 seconds of play in the second period of extra time.
Pedro Porro curled in an outswinging cross from the left to the back post, Nico Williams won the header and nodded it back into space, and Torres hammered a half-volley at last past the flailing Martinez. It was his only goal of the tournament, making him the seventh player to score during a tournament in which his side never trailed.
Messi's failure to score allowed France's Kylian Mbappe to claim his second Golden Boot as the tournaments lead scorer with 10 goals. He scored twice in a 6-4 loss to England in the Bronze Final on Saturday.
France's coach takes responsibility for loss
Deschamps says first-half collapse was 'unacceptable'
France coach Didier Deschamp speaks to Adrien Rabiot during the second half hydration break of the Bronze Final at the FIFA World Cup on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
NOTES
MIAMI — Didier Deschamps took responsibility for France's "unacceptable" first-half collapse in a 6-4 defeat by England on Saturday as his extraordinary 14-year reign as national team coach ended in painful fashion.
France trailed 4-0 at halftime in the World Cup third-place playoff before mounting a spirited recovery, but the team's late rally was not enough to prevent Deschamps' 185th and final match in charge from ending in a loss.
"It is a defeat, but we were 4-0 down. We produced an unacceptable first half," Deschamps told reporters. "There was a reaction, with the things we know how to do well. We had two chances to make it 4-4, but we pushed forward a little more.
"That is what we know how to do, but we didn't do it. It is my fault because I must not have done what was needed in the first half."
Deschamps said the performance after the break at least restored pride, though he admitted the sporting disappointment of France's tournament remained considerable after they had arrived in North America bidding to win a third world title.
"It would have been better to finish third," he said. "We came here with a lot of ambition. We managed to do quite a few positive things.
"We failed in our match against Spain, and they knew how to perform against us. This is a group with footballing quality. There was enough talent to get results," Deschamps added. "On a human level, it was a beautiful adventure. Eight weeks, it was beautiful."
France's 2-0 semifinal defeat by Spain ended its hopes of reaching a third successive World Cup final before England inflicted another setback on the coach who had turned Les Bleus into one of world soccer's dominant forces.
"The disappointment is there on a sporting level," Deschamps said. "We had the opportunity to create emotions for tens of millions of French people. It is the World Cup, there is nothing more beautiful."
The French Football Federation paid a glowing tribute to Deschamps, who leaves after 185 matches and 120 victories in charge.
"Didier Deschamps embodied high standards, rigor, a sense of the collective and love for the blue shirt," the FFF said in a statement.
"Under his leadership, for 14 years, the France team regained credibility, respect and affection while remaining at the highest level in the world."
Trump visit causes delays ahead of World Cup final
Fans, media members and employees faced lengthy lines to enter New York New Jersey Stadium ahead of Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina due to the attendance of President Donald Trump.
In the 48 hours before the finale of the quadrennial tournament, FIFA sent emails to media members inviting them to arrive as early as six hours before kickoff and warning them of road closures that would take effect 150 minutes before kickoff.
Among media members and employees, the result appeared to be an early crunch to clear a security protocol that included inspection by Secret Service officers.
One reporter experienced a 90-minute wait between entering the line and clearing the initial security perimeter. Other media members who arrived earlier reported wait times of three hours or more. Additionally, numerous media were denied entry at the security perimeter of the 80,000-capacity venue and sent to the stadium's accreditation center.
The same scenario was true for many fans, according to online reports. Despite warnings advising ticket-holders to show up four hours early, there were numerous reported waits of two hours or more in fan queues, with some also telling of malfunctioning ticket scanners.
Star power brought to World Cup halftime show
Superstars Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shakira offered a high-energy musical medley on Sunday in the first halftime show at a World Cup final.
Madonna kicked off the Super Bowl-style show, one of several American elements added to this year's tournament, with a performance of her single "Music." She began singing from the tunnels of the stadium before entering the venue via a dune buggy driven by Brazilian soccer greats Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
K-pop band BTS, clad in blackand-red outfits, followed with the upbeat "Dynamite." American actors Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, in character as coaches from TV show "Ted Lasso," introduced Bieber. He slowed the tempo with the acoustic "Everything Hallelujah," changing the song's final words to "World Cup Hallelujah."
Colombian singer Shakira and Nigeria's Burna Boy joined for "Dai Dai," the official song of the 2026 World Cup.
