NEW DELHI: Lionel Messi and Spain youngster Lamine Yamal shared a heartfelt hug after the final whistle of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, giving fans one of the most memorable moments of the tournament.After Spain beat defending champion Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win the title, Messi and Yamal met on the pitch, sparred and chatted. The touching moment quickly went viral on social media.Their embrace took on added meaning because of their famous connection from a 2007 UNICEF photoshoot, when a young Messi was photographed with baby Yamal.At the age of 39, Messi became only the second player to play all three FIFA World Cup finals, while 19-year-old Yamal celebrated winning the World Cup in his first final appearance.
Torres scored a title-winning goal
Spain secured their second FIFA World Cup title thanks to substitute Ferran Torres, who scored the only goal of the game in the 106th minute of extra time.The move began after the restart of the second period in extra time. Argentina were reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the 93rd minute.Lamine Yamal collected the ball on the right wing and passed it to Pedro Porro. Porro then delivered a cross into the penalty area that was almost out of the game. Nico Williams, who came on in the 75th minute, sent the ball back into the middle, where Torres reacted quickly and fired a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.It was Spain’s 20th shot of the match, while Argentina still haven’t made a single attempt on goal.
“This is a goal that has been achieved by 47 million people”
Torres said the winning goal belonged to the entire country and reflected on the criticism he faced during the tournament.“I think at the end of the day, it’s a goal that 47 million people got,” Torres said. “I feel very happy. I was criticized a lot during the World Cup, but I think it was written by fate and things.After scoring, the Barcelona forward celebrated by kicking the flag in the corner before being surrounded by his teammates as the Spain fans erupted in celebration.
Spain completed a dominant performance
Spain controlled the game for long periods and created chance after chance before finally breaking Argentina’s resistance in extra time.Marc Cucurella started the move from the back by passing to Eric García, who found Martín Zubimendi. The midfielder then released Yamal on the right wing, leading to a move that Torres eventually won.Torres almost added a second goal later in the game but was ruled offside. Spain then defended Argentina’s late corner kicks to seal a famous victory and lift the World Cup trophy for the second time.