Spain Emerges From Unbearable World Cup Final as Worthy Champions

So there it was. The biggest, greatest, most significant sporting event in the history of human civilization (lede brought to you by FIFA’s hyperbole machine) has finally concluded after 39 days and 104 matches of World Cup men’s soccer across North America. Your new world champions: La Roja of Spain.

Talk about deserving winners. In a tournament that required eight matches from its finalists – one more than any previous World Cup – Spain conceded just a single goal, the fewest by any champion in history. Though it rarely reflected in the form of gaudy scorelines, the Spanish absolutely dominated en route to the trophy by playing, essentially, the world’s most effective game of keep-away.

It’s how Luis de la Fuente’s side neutered consensus favorites France in a semifinal that, looking back, might as well have been for the trophy. Because Sunday’s actual World Cup final, through no fault of Spain’s, threatened to undo six weeks of footballing ecstasy in one single match.

Fellow finalists and defending World Cup champions Argentina took one look at Spain and apparently decided, We have absolutely no chance against these guys, so let’s just defend for two hours, foul every chance we get, and pray to get to penalty kicks. It nearly worked. The match was an unbearable watch. Though Argentina did not record a single shot attempt throughout the 90 minutes of regulation play, a combination of solid goalkeeping from Emi Martínez plus poor finishing from Spain forced the match to extra time at 0-0. 

Thankfully, Spain finally broke through in the 106th minute when Nico Williams headed a Pedro Porro cross into the path of substitute Ferran Torres, whose left-footed shot into the roof of the net instantly became one of the sport’s most iconic goals.

It was only then that Argentina, already reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernández’s ridiculous second yellow card in stoppage time of regulation, decided to actually attack Spain’s goal. Lionel Messi, the sport’s greatest-ever player and arguably still the best player in the world at age 39, was a ghost throughout the 120 minutes. If it was his final World Cup match, it was one to forget.

There was a halftime concert that inspired all manner of opinion (for those of us accustomed to standard Super Bowl halftime show fare, it was pretty average) and there was the president of the United States having to be physically ushered out of frame during Spain’s trophy lift ceremony by none other than FIFA President Gianni Infantino himself.

This World Cup was everything great and terrible about FIFA, everything great and terrible about the United States, and everything great and terrible about world football. Fortunately for all of us, the great still dwarfs the terrible in all three cases.

If the 1994 World Cup introduced the United States to world football, the 2026 World Cup introduced world football to the United States. It’s pretty obvious the two are made for each other, and it likely won’t be long until the circus comes right back around to our neck of the woods.

Two quick notes on Austin FC (before this column pivots back to total Verde coverage): The club resumed its 2026 season Wednesday night, after this column went to press, against the Seattle Sounders under the leadership of interim coach Davy Arnaud. Earlier this week, Arnaud assured, “We are fully committed to getting ourselves in a position to be in the playoffs. There’s no part of myself, the staff, the club, [or] the players that’s ready to say that the season is done.”

Arnaud also explained that the club’s trading of midfielder Dani Pereira for over $2 million in General Allocation Money was long in the works, saying, “We [needed] to find ways to generate a little bit of money to help us with the roster… We said if the right price comes for Dani, the club’s going to have to take it. And Montreal came with a really good offer.”

Next up: Austin FC face Houston Dynamo Saturday, July 25, 7:30pm at Shell Energy Stadium.

For more Austin FC news and analysis, visit The Austin Chronicle’s Austin FC hub. Sign up for The Verde Report newsletter to get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox, and follow The Verde Report columnist Eric Goodman on X: @goodman.

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