BY GABRIEL OKECHUKWU
Spain outclassed Argentina with their Tiki-Taka possessive football style to win the Twenty Twenty-six World cup with one goal to zero.
Throughout the duration of the match that extended to thirty minutes extra time, the Spanish Senior National team, Captained by Manchester City midfield Marshall, Rodri dominated possession and pressed Argentina to their half of the field.
Due to the dominance of Spain, Argentina’s two front liners, led by Messi were denied access to the ball, a situation that made Argentina not to record any shot at goal for ninety minutes before the extra time.
The Victory gave Spain
their second title ever, 16 years after 2010.
For 90 minutes, Spain had 15 shots to Argentina’s zero in normal time.
Argentina sat deep and played for penalties, committing more fouls than completed passes in Spain’s final third in the first half.
Emiliano Martínez made 11 saves, a World Cup final record.
The breakthrough came from the bench, Substitute, Nico Williams delivered an expert header, and fellow sub, Ferran Torres side-footed it home.
It was Torres’ first goal of the tournament.
Argentina’s night finished with just a total of two shots but zero shots on target.
Enzo Fernández was sent off in extra time with two yellows.
Messi was suffocated by Spain’s press and had no real chances.
In ball Possession, Spain had 68 percent while Argentina had 32 percent.
Spain had a total of twenty shots at goal, eleven on target while Argentina had two shots and zero on target.
With the result, Spain conceded just one goal all tournament and kept 7 clean sheets in 8 matches.
Unai Simón set a World Cup record with 650 consecutive minutes without conceding.
Spain became the first nation to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup titles at the same time, and set the record for longest men’s international unbeaten streak at 38 matches.
Individual Award Winners : 2026 World Cup
Spain nearly swept the awards:
Golden Ball – Best Player Rodri (Spain)
The captain ran the midfield, completed a tournament-high 803 passes at 94% accuracy.
He also won 11 duels vs France in the semi.
Golden Boot – Top Scorer: Kylian Mbappé (France) – 10 goals, First player to hit double digits since 1970.
He also got 4 assists.
Golden Glove – Best Goalkeeper, Unai Simón (Spain) 7 clean sheets in 8 matches, 2 more than the previous single-World Cup record.
Best Young Player, Pau Cubarsí (Spain).
The 19-year-old Barcelona played every minute and helped limit Argentina to 1 shot in 120 minutes in the final.
FIFA Fair Play Award Netherlands:
Only 3 yellow cards in the tournament
Man of the Match in Final Ferran Torres.
Prize Money:
Champions – Spain: $50 million USD
Runners-up – Argentina: $33 million USD.
Meanwhile, the third place Match played the previous day on Saturday 18th July, England defeated France by six goals to four, being their best performance in World cup since 1966 when they won it.
Arsenal Star boy, Bukayo Saka was outstanding during the game by scoring a hat trick.
#pictures culled from BBC
