Photo: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Spain defeated reigning champions Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on Saturday, with Ferran Torres scoring the winner in extra time. It is only the second World Cup title in Spanish history, coming 16 years after their first in 2010.
The result means Manchester City midfielder Rodri has now won the World Cup, the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or — joining a list of just 11 male players to have achieved all three.
Spain entered the tournament as defending European champions and went through the competition without ever trailing. They conceded just once on the way to the final.
After an opening goalless draw with Cape Verde, La Roja topped Group H with wins over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. They then beat Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32, before late victories over Portugal and Belgium set up a semi-final against France.
In that semi-final, Rodri was particularly influential, winning 11 duels — more than the entire French midfield combined, which totalled seven — as Spain won 2-0.
Spain's triumph also makes them only the third nation in history, alongside Brazil and Argentina, to have held a continental title and a World Cup simultaneously on more than one occasion.