The 2026 World Cup is now officially over. The Final game was played yesterday at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, which will now shortly return back to the old name of MetLife Stadium.
Of course, the scoreboard will not reflect that. People who did not watch will look at the 1-0 final score and think that this was closer than it actually was.
In fact, Spain did dominate. This felt more like a 2-0 or even a 3-0 game than what the actual final score will register officially.
How thoroughly did Spain dominate this contest?
Spain controlled possession for just shy of 70% of the match. Their passing was strong and efficient, with very little in the way of turnovers or errors. They had 20 shots attempts, and 12 of those were on goal. They found the back of the net three times, although two of the goals were taken away by the officials. That seems to be a running theme for teams facing Argentina in this World Cup.
Meanwhile, Argentina became the first side in history not to have a shot on goal during the entire first 90 minutes of play. They did not get a shot on goal until well into the second half of extra time, by which time Spain had taken a 1-0 lead. Argentina suddenly came alive and looked dangerous in those final minutes, after being largely lifeless and just not entirely themselves through most of the match up to that point. However, they were unable to convert those opportunities, allowing Spain to keep a clean sheet and enjoy their record seventh shutout of the eight games that they played in this tournament.
That's a new record. And it speaks to the system style of play that the Spaniards seem to have almost perfected in this tournament. Everybody who played against them seemed bogged down, unable to get anything going. It feels like they were the toughest defense in World Cup history. Statistically, they probably were.
Yes, Spain dominated far more than the scoreboard ever reflected. In fact, it never felt like Argentina appeared to have a serious chance of winning. They could not muster anything on offense, never got anything going. And their frustration visibly mounted the later in the game it got. Midfielder Enzo Fernández received a second yellow card on a frankly silly play which underscored Argentina's emotionally charged, undisciplined style of play throughout this game. His second yellow - which effectively was a red card - sent him out of the game and left Argentina a man down for the rest of the game. It proved costly. And it came unnecessarily, as he really left no doubt about the foul, which was really rough and even unsportsmanlike.
Argentina had gotten much notice with exciting comebacks to reach the final match. Plus, they were the defending champions, hoping to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1962.
Instead, they were thoroughly dominated, far more than the final score would suggest. Questions remains now about this team and their future, particularly about Lionel Messi, who will turn 40 next year. One cannot help but wonder what the chances are that he will stay on with Argentina. Many expected him to retire after the last World Cup. But now, he will be well into his forties by the time the next World Cup rolls around. It seems unlikely that he would still be around, but you never know, right? Tom Brady was still highly competitive and playing in Super Bowls well into his forties, and played as a starting quarterback in the NFL until the age of 45. Novak Djokovic is still playing tennis at an elite level at 39, and does not seem to be on the verge of retiring just yet.
However, this is Spain's moment. Frankly, they were far and away the better team yesterday. And despite some controversies, with two of their goals being taken away, they still left no doubts when they got to hoist the championship trophy. It was Spain's second ever World Cup championship, and their first since 2010. For that matter, they become the first nation to win two World Cup titles in the 21st century.
What a team.
2026 World Cup Champions: Spain
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