Ferran Torres wrote his name into Spanish sporting folklore Sunday night, burying a goal in the 105th minute of extra time to give Spain a 1-0 win over Argentina and its second FIFA World Cup title.
The final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, went 120 minutes before Spain could break through. Torres’ strike settled a match that had teased and tormented for two hours — the kind of game that reminds you why they say defense wins championships, even if the ball’s shaped wrong.
John Strong had the Fox call and did not hold back. “IT’S A GOAL! IT’S FERRAN TORRES!” he roared as the ball hit the net. When the whistle finally blew, Strong delivered the verdict: “SPAIN, FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THEIR HISTORY, HAVE WON THE WORLD CUP!”
Over on Telemundo, Andrés Cantor — the man whose elongated “¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!” has echoed through American living rooms for three decades — gave the moment its full-throated Spanish-language treatment. In Spain itself, Francisco José Caro and Gaizka Mendieta called the goal for La 1 and, as you’d expect from a nation watching its team lift the trophy for the first time since 2010, they lost their minds. Radio Marca’s broadcast captured the final whistle and the pandemonium that followed.
The goal came at 12:02 a.m. back in Spain. Midnight celebrations spilled into streets across the country — fans of Real Madrid and Barcelona, two crowds that agree on nothing, united under one flag for a night. Spain’s current generation has now won back-to-back major tournaments: the 2024 European Championship and the 2026 World Cup. Lamine Yamal, still barely old enough to rent a car, anchors a squad that isn’t going anywhere.
For Argentina, it was a bitter end to a title defense. Lionel Messi walked off the field in tears after collecting his runners-up medal. At 38, this is expected to be his final World Cup appearance — a career that includes a 2022 World Cup triumph but ends one goal short of a repeat. The film doesn’t lie: he left everything out there, and it still wasn’t enough.
The off-field spectacle drew its own headlines. A Super Bowl-style halftime show — curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin — featured Shakira, Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Burna Boy during an extended break. U.S. President Donald Trump joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino for the trophy presentation, alongside leaders from co-host nations Canada and Mexico. Trump and Infantino were booed during the ceremony.
Spain’s first World Cup came in 2010, when Andrés Iniesta scored in extra time to beat the Netherlands 1-0 in South Africa. Sixteen years later, Torres delivered in the same fashion — extra time, 1-0, a nation holding its breath until the net rippled.
Some things don’t change. You win the close ones by making one more play than the other guy. Spain made it. Argentina didn’t. The film doesn’t lie.
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