Pro-Palestine Spain beat pro-Israel Argentina to become Fifa World Cup 2026 champions

Spain went all the way round the footballing ​wheel on Sunday, from silk to sludge, from purity to persistence, and still ended up exactly where they wanted to ‌be --World Cup champions, with the ball at their feet and belief in their bones.

Their 1-0 victory over Argentina was not a wild departure from their identity but a muddy reaffirmation of it. Spain passed, probed, protected, and pampered the ball as if it were national treasure, refusing to panic as Argentina dug in, and the clock ticked ​towards the end of extra time.

In the end, fittingly for a side built on the idea that no player is bigger than ​the whole, the winner came from the bench. It was set up and scored by substitutes Nico Williams and ⁠Ferran Torres, the third time in the knockout rounds that a replacement had struck the decisive blow for Spain.

That, more than any glossy tactical ​diagram, said plenty about Luis de la Fuente's side. This is not a team of soloists demanding the spotlight. It is an orchestra in ​which even the late arrivals know the tune by heart.

Spain finished with more than 65% possession, 12 shots on target, and over twice as many completed passes as Argentina, who produced their first effort -- off target -- near the end of extra time.

It was domination, but not destruction. Spain still had to sweat for it. Their familiar weakness, ​the absence of a classic centre forward, was exposed by the number of chances they created but failed to finish.

Yet if the lack of ​a ruthless striker remains their Achilles' heel, it is about the only exposed part of a team otherwise wrapped in collective certainty.

Spain swept the individual tournament awards, ‌with Pau ⁠Cubarsi named Best Young Player, Unai Simon Best Goalkeeper, and Rodri the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Only the Golden Boot escaped them, going to France's Kylian Mbappe.

Goals shared out

Even that felt appropriate. Spain's triumph was never about one hot boot. Their 14 goals in eight matches were shared by eight players, echoing their European Championship success in 2024, when they scored a tournament-record 16 goals through 10 different players.

The win over Argentina also stretched ​their unbeaten run to 38 matches, ​moving them past Italy and ⁠underlining three years of dominance in international football.

It was also a personal vindication for De la Fuente, once dismissed by Spanish media as Luis de la "Who" after spending much of his coaching career in the Spanish FA's youth ranks.

Now ​he has turned that patient apprenticeship into the biggest prize in the game.

This Spain is also a reflection ​of the country ⁠itself, stitched together from different regions, accents, and identities.

Players from the Basque Country like Mikel Oyarzabal, Simon, and Mikel Merino share the stage with Borja Iglesias from Galicia, Torres from Valencia, Rodri from Madrid, Fabian Ruiz and Gavi from Andalucia, and Pedri from the Canary Islands. Cubarsi and Marc Cucurella are two of ⁠the nine ​players born in Catalonia, while Lamine Yamal and Williams represent the success of immigration and ​a newer Spain.

The country's richness has always rested in being made up of smaller nations, each with its own history. On Sunday, those differences did not disappear. They simply stopped ​being obstacles.

Football achieved, for one night at least, what politics so often cannot. It made Spain feel whole.

PM Shehbaz congratulates Spain

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a post on X congratulated Spain on winning the FIFA World Cup 2026, praising the team's performance throughout the tournament and commending the three host nations for successfully staging football's biggest event.

I congratulate Spain on its well-deserved victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Spanish national team displayed exceptional skill, unity, discipline, and teamwork throughout the tournament.

I extend my heartiest felicitations to President Donald Trump and the people of the…

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 20, 2026

The prime minister said Spain's triumph was "well-deserved", adding that the national side had displayed "exceptional skill, unity, discipline and teamwork" throughout the competition.

He also congratulated US President Donald Trump and the American people on the "exceptional arrangements" and successful hosting of the tournament, while expressing appreciation to the governments and people of Mexico and Canada for their partnership in organising the World Cup.

The prime minister praised FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the governing body's team for delivering the global tournament, saying their efforts would further strengthen football's status as a truly global sport.

Shehbaz Sharif said the FIFA World Cup had once again demonstrated that sport is "a universal language" that transcends borders and inspires humanity, expressing hope that its spirit of friendship and unity would continue beyond the final whistle.