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The GIST: <\/strong>Just over five weeks and 104 games later, Spain are your 2026 FIFA men\u2019s World Cup (WC) champions, winning the biggest-ever edition by defeating defending champion Argentina 1\u20130 in extra time yesterday. Here\u2019s how it went down \u2014 vamos<\/em>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcaa Spain outshoots and outlasts Argentina: <\/strong>La Roja <\/em>showcased their trademark possession style of play in the final, holding the ball for 68% of the game and connecting 803 passes to Argentina’s 445. But despite Spain\u2019s dominance, the match remained scoreless through regular time and<\/em> the first half of extra time. Finally, Spanish substitute Ferran Torres struck gold<\/a> in the 106th minute.<\/p>\n \u261d\ufe0f One golden thing:<\/strong> Compared to the relatively snoozy final, Saturday\u2019s third-place game between England and France was a barnburner<\/a>. England won 6\u20134, but Frenchman Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 notched two goals, making him both the Golden Boot winner (10 goals this tourney) as well as earning him the all-time WC goal scoring record (22 goals). Sheesh.<\/p>\n \u23e9 Looking ahead: <\/strong>The largest-ever 48-team WC shattered viewership records around the world, particularly in North America<\/a>, a trend that will likely continue when the official numbers from the final weekend are in. There\u2019s a clear appetite for international soccer this side of the Atlantic, a fantastic sign ahead of next year\u2019s FIFA Women\u2019s World Cup in Brazil. LFG.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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