Spain are world champions once again after a dominant FIFA World Cup campaign, defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final. But beyond the result, the tournament has sparked fierce debate over contrasting footballing philosophies, refereeing decisions and the narratives that shaped the competition. FIFA final: Spain’s absolute domination over Argentina explained In this episode of In … Read more
Argentina’s Lionel Messi cries at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J. | Photo Credit: AP Lionel Messi said on Monday (July 20, 2026) that after Argentina’s World Cup final loss, “the pain is immense and it’s going to take a long time for this … Read more
Spain’s Ferran Torres is fouled by Argentina’s Leandro Paredes. | Photo Credit: Reuters FIFA opened an investigation Monday (July 21, 2026) after Spain’s celebrations on beating Argentina in the World Cup final took an ugly turn when players briefly clashed on the field. Video replays showed several players involved in a scuffle, including Argentina midfielder … Read more
Spain’s Rodri lifts the trophy as Spain celebrates after winning the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, on July 19, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Newly-crowned world champions Spain replaced beaten finalists Argentina atop FIFA rankings released Monday (July 20, 2026). La Roja, who had … Read more
Argentina had won its previous three major tournaments — two Copa Americas on either side of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It had not lost a knockout duel since the 2019 Copa America. It had made fighting back from the brink look like clockwork. It had Lionel Messi, the greatest player of this generation and … Read more
Alvarez, right, tries to keep Rodri in check in the final. | Photo Credit: AP It’s quite easy, in this modern world, to miss the forest looking for trees. In footballing parlance, this equates to lacking perspective and blindly over-rating goals and assists at the expense of the hidden metrics that make the game tick. It is … Read more
Watch: Millions welcome Spain’s world cup champions home
The oldest footballing lesson in Spain has always been deceptively simple. If you have the ball, the opponent cannot score. For years, however, that philosophy became both its greatest gift and its greatest burden. Spain monopolised possession, accumulated passes and controlled territory, but too often it left tournaments wondering whether beautiful football alone could still … Read more
For six weeks, the country that had spent decades calling football soccer could talk about little else. The game poured into the United States through its airports and railway stations, occupied its downtowns and suburbs, and turned stadium parking lots into temporary republics of colour, song and shared obsession. Argentinians carried their mate through hotel … Read more
Spain players and coaches celebrate after the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina on July 19, 2026 | Photo Credit: YUKI IWAMURA Spain’s win over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final might have read a modest 1-0, but the scoreline hid what was in plain sight throughout. Spain smothered the … Read more
Fans hold a banner depicting Argentine football legends Diego Maradona, Mario Kempes and Lionel Messi holding FIFA World Cup trophies as supporters gather near the Argentine Football Association (AFA) training camp in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, on July 20, 2026, while awaiting the arrival of Argentina’s national football team from the United States following its … Read more
Spain’s Ferran Torres celebrates with the trophy after winning the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 19, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Ferran Torres said his World Cup-winning goal for Spain on Sunday (July 19, 2026) belonged to “47 million people, not just me or the … Read more
Spain’s second World Cup title, achieved after a narrow extra-time victory over Argentina in the final, was a triumph of the collective. The Luis de la Fuente-coached outfit conceded just one goal in eight matches, was unmatched in the centre of the pitch with playmaker and Golden Ball winner Rodri completing a record 790 passes, … Read more
Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid was announced only at the start of the tournament. | Photo Credit: AFP Somewhere between Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner and the trophy lift, 12 club badges got to claim a piece of history. Spain’s second World Cup title was stitched together by clubs, its academies and leagues spread across Europe, … Read more
Legendary status: No one can take away the imprint Messi has left on this tournament. | Photo Credit: Getty Images For 120 minutes, Spain did what no other team at this World Cup had managed. It found a way to keep Lionel Messi quiet. The plan was simple in theory but brutally difficult in practice. Every … Read more
Watch: Argentina and Spain players in ugly brawl seconds after final whistle in FIFA World Cup final
A teenager died, and several people were injured during celebrations of Spain’s victory in the World Cup after a fountain collapsed in the west of the country, local authorities and media said on Monday (July 20, 2026). “The city hall of Ciudad Rodrigo expresses its sadness and presents its condolences for the death of a … Read more
Nervous excitement and rowdy cheers turned into anguished groans, nailbiting tension and tears, as Argentines’ hope of yet another epic comeback led by Lionel Messi in the World Cup fizzled out against Spain. At the Cafe Relax bar in the historic centre of Buenos Aires, fans with tears in their eyes after the final whistle … Read more
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni looks dejected after losing the World Cup final to Spain, on July 19, 2026 | Photo Credit: Reuters Lionel Scaloni admitted Spain deserved to be crowned world champions but said he could not have asked for more from his Argentina players after their 1-0 extra-time defeat in the FIFA World Cup … Read more
Fireworks light up the sky above People’s Plaza in Hyderabad as jubilant Spain supporters celebrate their team’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, on Monday (July 20, 2026) | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G Football fever gripped Hyderabad well past midnight as hundreds of fans gathered at People’s Plaza in Necklace … Read more
Luis de la Fuente, Head Coach of Spain, lifts the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy after the team’s victory following the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19, 2026. Photo: Getty Images via AFP. Luis de la Fuente … Read more
Spain’s Rodri lifts the World Cup trophy alongside teammates as they celebrate winning the World Cup | Photo Credit: Reuters There are defeats that arrive in a single devastating blow. Others unfold so gradually that the victim barely notices the danger until escape is no longer possible. Also read: Spain vs Argentina, FIFA World Cup … Read more
Spain fans celebrate at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid after Spain win the FIFA World Cup final against Argentina, on July 20, 2026 | Photo Credit: Reuters Thousands of ecstatic Spanish fans in Madrid bellowed out the Queen song “We Are the Champions” following Spain’s victory in the World Cup final on Sunday (July 19, … Read more
Soccer-Hydration breaks did not impact World Cup results but future undecided, says FIFA’s Wenger
A tournament of emotions and unforgettable moments. Cape Verde and Vozhinha, the thriller of Azteca, the Viking row and the Haaland song, and back and forth between France and England for third place will be remembered for a long time as well as the tears and farewell of a set of players who defined a … Read more
Argentina’s Lionel Messi. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Lionel Messi has quite a climb to catch Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot. The Argentina superstar has won just about everything in soccer except for the award for being the leading scorer at the World Cup, and he’s now two behind Mbappé after the France striker … Read more
The best offence. The best defence. The World Cup final is set, and fittingly, a clash of styles awaits. Lionel Messi — the most prolific goal scorer in the tournament’s history — and defending champion Argentina will take on Spain’s defensive juggernaut on Sunday (July 19, 2026) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Spain beat France … Read more
In the 22 previous World Cup men’s finals (which would include the 1950 match between Uruguay and Brazil that technically wasn’t a final, but decided who won the World Cup), the winning team has averaged 2.6 goals in the title matchup. The losing team has averaged 1.1 goals. The two most recent World Cup finals … Read more
Switzerland’s goalkeeper Kobel fails to keep out Argentina’s Alvarez shot from outside the box. | Photo Credit: AFP The World Cup has not only grown larger but has also been more prolific. Ahead of the final, the tournament has produced 307 goals in 103 matches, an average of 2.98 per game, comfortably higher than Qatar 2022, where … Read more
France’s Kylian Mbappe shakes hands with France coach Didier Deschamps at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2026 match against England, at Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S., on July 18, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters Kylian Mbappe moved past Lionel Messi for the career World Cup scoring record on Saturday (July 18, 2026), … Read more