Messi’s Final World Cup Dream Ends as Spain Lift Trophy After Extra-Time Victory

Ferran Torres struck in extra time to give Spain a 1-0 win over holders Argentina, claiming the World Cup and denying Lionel Messi a storybook farewell to the tournament that made him a global icon.

The Barcelona forward’s 106th-minute finish capped a match in which Argentina failed to register a single shot on target across 120 minutes — a startling statistic for a team defending its title.

A crowd of 80,663 packed MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, including US President Donald Trump, to watch whether the 39-year-old Messi could add a second World Cup to his collection in what was almost certainly his final appearance on football’s biggest stage. Instead, Spain controlled the match from early on, while Argentina leaned on a string of cynical fouls that referee Slavko Vincic largely let slide until the closing stages.

That pattern caught up with Argentina in stoppage time, when midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a brutal challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi, leaving the South Americans to finish extra time with ten men. Fernandez had already been booked for dissent in the 82nd minute, part of a rough afternoon that also saw Lisandro Martinez cautioned before being substituted with an apparent injury.

Spain’s dominance built steadily rather than translating immediately into goals. Nico Williams had a goal controversially disallowed for a marginal foul earlier in extra time, and Emiliano Martinez made several key saves to keep Argentina level, including stops on efforts from Pedri, Cubarsi, and Williams himself. The eventual winner came from a lofted cross by Pedro Porro, headed into Torres’s path by Williams for a finish Torres described as belonging to Spain as a whole rather than any individual player.

The victory gives Spain its second World Cup title, following its maiden triumph in 2010, and cements a golden generation built around Yamal, Pedri, and Williams that has now delivered on football’s largest stage. For Messi, the loss closes out a career that already includes the 2022 title with Argentina, ending his World Cup story on a quieter note than the one many hoped for heading into the tournament.