Spain dominated the opening 90 minutes but found Emiliano Martinez unbeatable. The Argentina goalkeeper made 11 saves in total, a record for a World Cup final. At the other end, Argentina became the first finalist in World Cup history to fail to register a shot in the opening 90 minutes.

The holders’ night then unravelled in injury time. Fernandez, booked in the 82nd minute, caught Pau Cubarsi with a late lunge. The second yellow card followed, and Argentina faced 30 minutes of extra time with 10 men.

Luis de la Fuente turned to his bench, and his substitutes settled the final. A lofted pass released Nico Williams in the box in the 106th minute. The winger cut the ball back for fellow substitute Torres, who drilled his finish past Martinez.

Only then did Argentina stir. Giuliano Simeone volleyed over from a Lionel Messi corner, before Mikel Merino produced a vital block to deny Messi himself in the 115th minute. Those were the only two shots Lionel Scaloni’s side mustered across 120 minutes, neither of them on target, worth just 0.37 Expected Goals (xG).

Spain’s dominance was total. They finished with 20 shots, 12 on target, 2.12 xG and 65.1% of the ball. Their reward is a second World Cup, and a first since 2010, to sit alongside their Euro 2024 crown. They end the tournament unbeaten in seven matches, having conceded just once.

For Messi, 39, there was no fairytale repeat of Qatar. Starved of service for 90 minutes, his late flurry came too late to drag Argentina to back-to-back titles.

Instead, the night belonged to Spain’s new generation, and to Torres, the substitute who made history in New Jersey.

World Cup Final: result, stats & highlights

World Cup Final highlights

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