Spain wins 2026 World Cup, tops FIFA rankings as Argentina falls in extra time

Spain captured the 2026 FIFA World Cup title by defeating Argentina in a tightly contested final held at a New York-New Jersey stadium. Coming off the bench during the match, Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute of extra time, securing a 1-0 victory over the tournament's defending champions.

Spain's triumph marked their second World Cup championship, their first having taken place in 2010 when South Africa served as host nation. The contest appeared destined for a penalty shootout as both teams failed to break through during the initial 90 minutes.

Throughout much of the encounter, Spain dominated possession and created the better scoring opportunities, though they could not capitalize until Torres delivered his decisive strike in extra time. The Barcelona forward's pivotal performance garnered him the FIFA Most Valuable Player award for the match.

As a result of this victory, Spain now occupies the number one position in the FIFA men's world rankings, displacing Argentina from that spot. During the tournament, the Spanish squad accumulated 121.17 ranking points, bringing their total points to 1,995.88.

Available information indicates Spain has become the first nation to hold both the men's and women's FIFA World Cup titles at the same time. Spain's squad returned to Madrid on Monday where jubilant celebrations erupted throughout the capital, with throngs of fans expected to line city streets for a victory parade.

Argentina's return home painted a starkly different scene—chaotic incidents unfolded after the final whistle, prompting FIFA to launch an investigation into the post-match disturbances. In the latest FIFA rankings, Nigeria occupies 26th place worldwide, while Egypt has overtaken them to claim Africa's top ranking at 24th position.