World Cup 2026 Statistics – Day 39 (July 19) – Final
Spain vs Argentina 1-0
*Spain became the first nation to win two World Cups in the XXI century (2010, 2026).
*Spain became the second team to win the World Cup after defeating the previous two champions during the same tournament (France and Argentina), following Italy in 1982 (Argentina and Germany).
*Spain are the first team to win the World Cup while conceding only 1 goal throughout the tournament.
*For the 4th time, a nation have won the Euros and the World Cup consecutively:
Germany (Euro 1972 and World Cup 1974)
France (World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000)
Spain (Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, and Euro 2012)
Spain (Euro 2024, World Cup 2026).
*Argentina suffered their first World Cup knockout-stage defeat since the loss to France on 30 June 2018 (3-4).
*Argentina suffered their second defeat after extra time in the World Cup history, following the loss to Germany in the 2014 final (0-1).
*Argentine players received 50 per cent of red cards in the World Cup finals (3 out of 6): Pedro Monzon and Gustavo Dezotti in 1990, and now Enzo Fernandez.
Other players sent off are:
Marcel Desailly (France) in 1998
Zinédine Zidane (France) in 2006
John Heitinga (Netherlands) in 2010
*For the fourth time, a World Cup final saw no goals scored in regulation time, following the finals of:
1994 (Brazil vs Italy),
2010 (Spain vs Netherlands),
2014 (Germany vs Argentina).
*Argentina became the first team in history to fail to register a single shot during the first 90 minutes of a World Cup final.
*Five of the last six World Cup finals have gone to extra time (the exception being France vs Croatia in 2018).
*Argentina is the nation that has played the most extra-time matches in World Cup history (14).
*For the 3rd time, coaches of the same nationality won the Champions League/European Cup and the World Cup in the same year:
1974 – Udo Lattek (Bayern) and Helmut Schön (Germany)
2018 – Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid) and Didier Deschamps (France)
2026 – Luis Enrique (PSG) and Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
*Ferran Torres is the first substitute to score in a World Cup final since Mario Götze for Germany against Argentina on 13 July 2014, and the 5th sub to do so in a final overall, including:
Dick Nanninga (Netherlands) in 1978
Alessandro Altobelli (Italy) in 1982
Rudi Völler (Germany) in 1986
*Ferran Torres goal is the 2nd created by two substitutes (assist by Nico Williams) in a Word Cup final, following:
the German goal assisted by Andre Schürrle and scored by Mario Götze in 2014.
*Fabián Ruiz (Spain) becomes the first player in history to remain unbeaten after his first 50 caps (35 wins, 15 draws).
He surpassed Garrincha (unbeaten in his first 49 caps).
*Fabián Ruiz is the first Spanish player to win the Champions League/European Cup (with PSG) and the World Cup in the same season.
*Mikel Oyarzabal failed to score in a final for the first time in his professional career (it was his 7th final).
*Lamine Yamal is the joint-fourth youngest World Cup winner (at 19 years and 6 days, exactly as Brazil’s Coutinho in 1962), behind:
Pelé at 17 years and 249 days (Brazil 1958)
Ronaldo at 17 years and 298 days (Brazil 1994)
Giuseppe Bergomi at 18 years and 174 days (Italy 1982)
*For the first time in the history of the World Cup, a national team (Spain) played the final with two starters under the age of 20: Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí (19 years, 178 days).
They are now the 3rd and 4th youngest players to start a World Cup final, behind:
Pelé at 17 years, 249 days (Brazil 1958)
Giuseppe Bergomi at 18 years, 201 days (Italy 1982)
Kylian Mbappé is also in top 5 (at 19 years, 207 days, France 2018).
Every player under the age of 20 who started in the final ended up winning the World Cup (including also Rubén Morán with Uruguay in the decisive game of the final group of the 1950 edition).
*Argentina fielded 8 starters from the 2022 final.
The only other team to field 8 same starters in consecutive World Cup finals was Brazil (1958 and 1962).
*Nico Paz (Argentina) became the first player to play in a World Cup final (as a starter or substitute) against his country of birth (Spain).
*Lionel Messi (39 years, 25 days) and Lamine Yamal (19 years, 6 days) are separated by 20 years and 19 days: the largest age gap between two opposing starters of a World Cup final.
*Messi became the second-oldest player to play in a World Cup final, behind Dino Zoff in 1982 (40 years, 133 days), and the oldest ever outfielder to do so.
Nicolás Otamendi’s appearance made him the second-oldest outfieder: 38 years, 157 days.
*Otamendi reached 21 World Cup appearances, surpassing Javier Mascherano and tying Diego Maradona to enter Argentina’s all-time top three, trailing only Lionel Messi (34).
*Messi became the first player to start in three World Cup finals (also 2014 and 2022.
Cafu wo also played in three finals (for Brazil) was a substitute in 1994 (replacing Jorginho in the 21st minute) and a starter in 1998 and 2002.
*Messi became the 14th player to have lost two World Cup finals, following nine Dutch players and four German players.
*Argentina have won only one of their last six World Cup matches in which Messi did not have goal involvements (2 draws, 3 losses).
That victory was against Poland on 30 November 2022 (3-0).
*Kylian Mbappé became the first player in history to finish as top scorer in two editions of the World Cup (2022, 2026).
*Mbappé is the second player in history to finish as top scorer in the Champions League/European Cup, the domestic league, and the World Cup in a single season, following Eusébio in 1965-66.
*The 2026 World Cup’s average goals per game (2.96) is the highest since the 1970 edition (2.97).