Spain win World Cup to break Argentina hearts after ‘stupid’ Enzo Fernandez red | Football | Sport

Spain claimed just their second ever World Cup title by dethroning Argentina 1-0 after extra time. A tight, tactical contest at the MetLife Stadium in the New Jersey sunshine saw both teams fail to score in 90 minutes of normal time. But just as a penalty shootout appeared to loom, a cagey but feisty final was eventually settled by Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute winner. Argentina came into this as the reigning world champions after reigning supreme in Qatar 2022 but failed to produce a single shot on target in a disappointing performance.

The South Americans resorted to defending deep to try and frustrate the European champions, which was a task that became even harder when Enzo Fernandez was sent off in second-half stoppage time. Their resolve was finally broken when Torres lashed in a winner after Nico Williams’ headed knockdown. Spain’s second World Cup triumph comes 16 years after their last and means Luis de la Fuente’s men are now world and European champions simultaneously. It is the exact same scoreline by which Spain won the 2010 final, when Andres Iniesta’s extra-time winner downed the Netherlands in South Africa.

The 2026 final, though, was one that served up as many talking points off the pitch as on it, due to the pre-match and half-time festivities that ultimately took a toll on the actual match.

The final kicked off six minutes later than its scheduled 8pm (UK) start time due to pre-match performances, including a song from Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, plus a speech from Tom Cruise, and other high-profile contributors.

And half-time, which under FIFA rules should be no longer than 15 minutes, lasted 27 minutes due to a lengthy show that BBC pundit Wayne Rooney slammed and labelled “crap”.

On the pitch, Argentina were rocked by injuries to both first-choice centre-halves, Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero, and the wave of luck they rode towards the final seemed to run out yet they still defended doggedly to frustrate Spain.

Then, three minutes into stoppage time, they were reduced to 10 men. Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was shown a second yellow card for a late foul on Pau Cubarsi which sent the Spain defender hurtling into the air.

Alan Shearer was commentating on the match for the BBC and said: “He might just have cost his team massively. You know now Argentina are going to try and take it to penalties. Already being on a yellow card for something stupid, backchatting to the referee.

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“When you’re on a yellow you cannot, cannot make a challenge like that, that is stupid from him, it really is. How daft is that from Enzo Fernandez? He’s on a yellow card for dissent. Not for the tackle, for dissent. He knows that, because that didn’t happen long ago. For him to stretch into a challenge like that is crazy.”

Nico Williams was harshly denied a winner when Mikel Merino was adjudged to have fouled Nicolas Otamendi by accidentally standing on his foot. But then the Athletic Bilbao winger produced a brilliant assist for Barcelona’s Torres to hammer in the winner.

Torres thought he’d made it 2-0 with seven minutes to go but was narrowly offside from Lamine Yamal’s pass. Yet it mattered not as Argentina, down a man, could not hit back. Messi – arguably the best player of all time – finally exhausted his magic tricks after his eight-goal tournament at the age of 39.

Argentina had come from behind to beat Egypt, Switzerland and England en route to their final but found themselves out of comebacks.

Spain’s triumph will be well received in England. Argentina stoked the fires after winning their semi-final against Thomas Tuchel’s team by parading a banner around the pitch that claimed ‘the Malvinas (Falklands) are Argentine.’

Millions have signed a petition calling for them to be punished by FIFA, given that the stunt broke strict rules on political messaging.