Spain Are World Champions Again as Torres Settles a Fiery Final

The 2026 World Cup came to a close on Sunday as Spain were crowned world champions for the second time, defeating Argentina in a bad-tempered final settled by Ferran Torres in extra time. It was a fitting end to a tournament that had pitted two of football's dominant cultures against each other, and Spain's victory ended Argentina's reign as the game's reigning champions. As Philipp Lahm had argued in the build-up, the Spanish philosophy — rooted in Cruyff's legacy at Barcelona and refined through decades of elite coaching — proved decisive when it mattered most.

The day's earlier match produced its own talking point. Bukayo Saka, dropped by Thomas Tuchel for England's semi-final defeat to Argentina, responded with a hat-trick as England beat France to claim third place — their best World Cup finish in the modern era. The performance will fuel debate about Tuchel's selection decision for weeks to come. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé collected the Golden Boot with ten goals across the tournament, becoming the first player in history to win the award twice, finishing two ahead of Lionel Messi.

It was, by any measure, a day to close a remarkable World Cup.