Messi, Argentina punished for anti-football as Spain win 2026 World Cup
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Argentina paid the price for parking the bus against Spain in the World Cup final in New Jersey.
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The Netherlands are the winners of the FIFA Fair Play Award presented by @mcdonalds 🤝🏆 pic.twitter.com/n1XirS0q9m
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 19, 2026
Spain beat Messi's Argentina to win World Cup
Spain controlled the match throughout, finishing with 65% possession and 20 shots, while Argentina managed only two shots across the entire 90 minutes and extra time.
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Lionel Messi and Argentina refused to buckle despite the pressure, with Emiliano Martinez producing 11 saves, a World Cup final record, to keep his side in the contest.
Argentina's hopes were further damaged when Enzo Fernandez was sent off at the end of normal time, leaving Lionel Scaloni's men to defend with ten players through extra time.
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The breakthrough finally arrived in the 106th minute when a lobbed pass found Nico Williams, who nodded it back to Ferran Torres, and Torres drilled home to give Spain the lead.
Argentina threw everything at an equaliser in the closing stages, but in the end, La Roja held on for their second-ever World Cup trophy.
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