A goalless 90 minutes gave way to one moment of quality: Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute to win Spain their second World Cup, 16 years after their first, and deny Argentina back-to-back titles.
Emiliano Martinez made a final-record 11 saves, but Ferran Torres finally broke through in the 106th minute to settle a tense night in New Jersey.
Spain's captain took the Golden Ball without a goal or assist, having covered more ground and completed more passes than anyone at the finals.
Ten goals, including two in the third-place playoff, made him the first back-to-back winner in World Cup history and took his career tally to a record 22.
The most chaotic match of the tournament finished 6-4, with Bellingham capping a campaign of seven goals and Mbappe scoring twice in defeat.
Spain conceded once in eight matches and Unai Simon's seven clean sheets broke the tournament record by two, earning him the Golden Glove.
The Argentina captain took the Silver Ball after assisting both semifinal goals, but Spain's midfield squeezed him out of the final.
For the first time, the Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by three nations — Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda — and the first time the tournament returns to East Africa since Ethiopia staged it back in 1976.
Running from 19 June to 17 July 2027 with 24 teams, "Pamoja" — Swahili for "together" — is more than a tournament. It's a coming-of-age moment for a region with deep football passion, and qualifying kicks off in September 2026.
Five spot-kicks. Pick your corner, beat the keeper. Can you convert all five?
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