The 2026 World Cup final remains undecided. At the end of regulation time, Spain and Argentina are still tied (0-0) and must be separated by extra time.
Spain takes control
From the opening minutes, La Roja took control of the ball and dictated the tempo. In the 5th minute, Lamine Yamal broke down the right flank, combined with Dani Olmo, and finished the move himself with a close-range left-footed shot. Emiliano Martinez made a crucial save.
Spain continued to dominate possession against an Argentina side unable to get out of their own half. In the 39th minute, a deflection from Fabian Ruiz allowed Mikel Oyarzabal to unleash a low shot from the edge of the box. Martinez made a comfortable save. Four minutes later, Marc Cucurella found space on the edge of the area and curled a shot across goal that went just wide of the post.
At halftime, La Roja are largely dominant. Argentina have yet to register a single shot on target.
Lisandro Martinez leaves injured, Otamendi steps up to the plate
Just before halftime, Argentina lost one of their key players. Already on a yellow card, Lisandro Martinez was injured and had to leave the field in the 44th minute. Nicolas Otamendi came on as a substitute in central defense.
In the 54th minute, Dani Olmo broke down the right and passed back to Fabian Ruiz. Mikel Oyarzabal found himself in an excellent position, but Otamendi intervened perfectly, cutting off the ball's trajectory before it could be shot.
Emiliano Martinez disgusts the Spanish people
The second half quickly turned into a siege of the Argentine goal. In the 46th minute, Alex Baena unleashed a powerful shot from about 20 meters out. Emiliano Martinez made an easy save.
In the 56th minute, Gonzalo Montiel made a perfectly controlled tackle in his own box to prevent Marc Cucurella from getting on the end of a cross back from Dani Olmo.
Eight minutes later, Dani Olmo received the ball in a central position, completely unmarked at the edge of the box. His powerful shot was deflected by Martinez, who made another crucial save. In the 67th minute, Ferran Torres headed a cross from Lamine Yamal on target. The Argentinian goalkeeper caught the ball.
Ten minutes later, Pedri receives the ball in the box. Martinez blocks an initial attempt before immediately deflecting a powerful shot from Pau Cubarsi. Spain continues to press. In the 81st minute, Aymeric Laporte rises highest to meet a corner taken short by Yamal and Nico Williams. His header is brilliantly saved by the Argentine goalkeeper.
Messi finally shows his true colors, Fernandez sees red
Argentina finally created a genuine scoring opportunity in stoppage time. In the 92nd minute, Lionel Messi found himself in the Spanish penalty area, but Rodri made a crucial last-ditch tackle to prevent the Argentine star from getting a shot away. A minute later, Enzo Fernandez made a late challenge on Pau Cubarsi. Already on a yellow card, the Argentine midfielder received a second yellow and was sent off. Argentina finished the match with ten men.
In the 90+8th minute, Lamine Yamal won a free kick on the edge of the box. His left-footed shot was heading for the side netting, but Emiliano Martinez made another spectacular save and deflected the ball.
An extension to determine the world champion
Despite Spain's almost constant dominance, Argentina held firm thanks to a solid defensive organization and an exceptional performance from Emiliano Martinez, who made several crucial saves throughout the match. After 90 minutes, neither team could break the deadlock. The 2026 World Cup final therefore went into extra time, with Spain still on the attack and Argentina reduced to ten men.
