Rodri hoists the trophy aloft and the ticker-tape cannons go off. The World Cup is handed around players, then to manager Luis de la Fuente, before coaching staff are invited on to the podium en masse. Every person touching that gold trophy is fulfilling a lifelong dream – even the Spanish royal family look a touch overawed.
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King Felipe VI, the king of Spain, is also in the queue of dignitaries lined up to congratulate the world champions. Trump tells Rodri “you’re my favourite player” – and then stops the Spain captain for another chat as he’s about to lift the trophy.
Even Infantino looks embarrassed at this point, but Trump insists on standing alongside the Spain players, who eventually focus on the business of celebration.
As Spain head up to collect their medals – and the trophy – here are Ed Aarons’ player ratings from the final. Rodri 9, Enzo Fernández 3.
Argentina go up and collect their silver medals, and it’s all too much for Lionel Messi. Having worn a downbeat, bemused expression since the final whistle, the tears now start to flow. It’s almost certain that the greatest player of all time has played his last World Cup match, and that’s sad whoever you support.
The Golden Boot goes to Kylian Mbappé, although he’s not here to receive any award in person. The France forward scored 10 goals, with Messi unable to overtake him in this year’s chart or the all-time standings today.
Rodri wins the Golden Ball
And people thought he was over the hill. The Spain midfielder has been back to his metronomic, unflappable best at this World Cup, and a deserving winner. He gets a “well played” from Trump, and a trophy to go alongside his Ballon d’Or. Somewhere in Brazil, Vinícius Jr turns the telly off.
Pau Cubarsí wins young player of the tournament
The Barcelona centre-back gets the nod over teammate and clubmate Lamine Yamal, and it’s thoroughly deserved; Spain conceded one goal in the entire tournament. On that theme, Unai Simón has won the Golden Glove – and opts against a repeat of Emi Martínez’s antics in 2022 with the trophy.
Pau Cubarsi receives the young player of the tournament award. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
I should also point out that the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, and the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, are also here for the presentation. We’ll start with the referees, but now they’re handing out some individual prizes …
Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino make their way on to the pitch, to a fair few jeers and whistles from the crowd. On the BBC’s coverage, Wayne Rooney labels Infantino’s white trainers “stupid”, which I enjoyed.Gianni Infantino with his ‘stupid’ trainers and stable genius Donald Trump. Photograph: Steph Chambers/FIFA/Getty ImagesShare
We’re getting close to trophy time; there is a huge replica of the World Cup in the centre of the pitch, and now Sergio Ramos is bringing out the real thing. A perfect choice, Ramos: he’s Spanish but also loved a bit of skulduggery in his playing days.
Sergio Ramos, surprisingly not being sent off while bringing the trophy onto the pitch. Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty ImagesShare
Here is David Hytner’s match report from the New York New Jersey Stadium, as we will never have to call it again after tonight.
Thanks, Rob. Shall we have a look at the scenes over in Spain?
Barcelona … Photograph: Nacho Doce/Reuters
A replay of Ferran Torres’s goal shows that he was being tracked by Simeone, who then pulled up on the edge of the area with an injury. That gave Torres the space he needed to score.
That was pretty intense, so I’m going to take a break and hand over to Niall McVeigh for a bit.
Like hydration breaks and Donald Trump’s ability to get refereeing decisions overturned by simply phoning up the president of Fifa and complaining, the final half-time show is an innovation of the 2026 World Cup that comes with a degree of controversy attached. For one thing, its existence automatically means the World Cup final breaks the International Football Association’s 15-minute half-time mandate.
For another, its obvious antecedent lies in the NFL’s Super Bowl, where the half-time entertainment has mushroomed over the decades from a few marching bands to one of the big pop events of the year. To its detractors, it smacks of America not so much embracing the World Cup as imposing itself upon it.
Modern sport, we’re told, is all about the individual. Your boy has 422 gazillion Instagram followers, blah blah blah.
Spain and Paris Saint-Germain, the best teams in the world, beg to differ. The best team usually wins the World Cup, but rarely has the T-word been as operative in 2026.
Spain finally broke Argentina’s dogged resistance in extra time to win the men’s World Cup for the second time with a 1-0 victory.
The Barcelona winger Ferran Torres scored the only goal of a disjointed game that was almost ruined by Argentina’s deliberate spoiling tactics, which backfired when they were reduced to 10 men for extra time by the late dismissal of Enzo Fernández for two yellow cards.
Paredes sent off after the final whistle
As in 1990, Argentina’s attempt to defend their trophy has ended with two men being sent off in the final. Paredes could have been sent off several times during the game.
One of the Argentina players punched a Spanish substitute in the stomach as well. Can you be given a retrospective red card for incidents after the final whistle?
Genuinely pathetic from Leandro Paredes Photograph: Amanda Perobelli/ReutersShare
Spain have become the first team to hold the World Cup in both men’s and women’s football. Their triumph at this tournament brooks no argument. They’re the purest football team in the world and the best.
It took them a long time to break down a fiercely resilient Argentina, but Ferran Torres assumed the Iniesta role by scoring the winning goal in the 106th minute.
There’s some aggro in the middle of the pitch, and apparently Paredes is throwing punches. What a bedside manner.
Gavi clashes with Argentina’s Leandro Paredes at full-time. Such terrible sportsmanship from Argentina. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/ReutersShare
Full time: Spain 1-0 Argentina
Spain are world champions!
120+2 min: Great chance for Simeone!
Messi’s near-post corner is only half cleared to Simeone, who is leaning backwards and shoots over from 10 yards! That’s Argentina’s best chance of the game by a mile.
120+1 min Five minutes of added time. Blimey.
120 min: Chance for Argentina!
So close to an equaliser! After a short free-kick from Messi, Simeone got round the back and hammered a low cross that was brilliantly turned past the near post by Cubarsi. He had to make that.
117 min Messi collects a bouncing ball 25 yards out and wallops a shot that smashes Merino straight in the coupon, knocking him off his feet. That’s Argentina’s first attempt at goal all night; their xG is now 0.04.
Play is stopped while Merino is checked for concussion.
116 min What the hell was that? Williams beats Molina on the left, moves into the area and tries to find Torres with a showboaty flick when a simple low pass would suffice. He makes a total mess of it and knocks the ball out of of a goalkick.
If Spain don’t win the World Cup, he’ll regret that for the rest of his natural-born days.
115 min Messi takes a short corner on the right, gets it back and curls a big, dipping cross that briefly startles Simon before landing on the roof of the net.
115 min Ferran Torres is a very good player, not a great one. But he is a few minutes away from joining the best club in world football.
These are the men who have scored the winning goal in a World Cup final: Angelo Schiavio, Alcides Ghiggia, Helmut Rahn, Gerd Muller, Jorge Burruchaga, Andreas Brehme, Andres Iniesta, Mario Gotze.
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Updated at 23.38 BST
114 min: Torres has a goal disallowed. It looked very tight as he ran through from the halfway line to beat Martinez, but the semi-automated technology confirmed the decision straight away.View image in fullscreen
Ferran Torres is a fraction offside. Photograph: John Sibley/ReutersShare
111 min Mac Allister is booked for a foul on somebody or other. Argentina look semi-resigned to their fate.
110 min That was Spain’s 20th attempt at goal, 12 on target. Argentin- ah you know that.
108 min If Argentina win the World Cup from here, they will go down as football’s greatest mentality monsters.
Spain go in front 37 seconds after the restart. Pedro Porro’s deep cross from the right is headed back deftly by Nico Williams. Ferran Torres runs onto the ball, 10 yards out, and slams it into the roof the net with his left foot!
