Argentina Hit Unwanted World Cup Record After Spain Loss

Argentina Football Association (AFA) President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia has praised Lionel Messi and the Argentine national team following their narrow 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, commending the players for their commitment and determination throughout the tournament.

According to Ireporter Online, Spain secured their second FIFA World Cup title after substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute of the final played in New Jersey, ending Argentina’s reign as world champions and denying Messi a successful defence of the trophy.

Reacting after the match, Tapia expressed gratitude to the players, coaching crew and support staff, stating that the team represented the nation with passion and gave everything from the opening match to the final. He said the squad had once again inspired millions of Argentines and deserved recognition despite the heartbreaking defeat.

The loss also saw Argentina equal an unwanted FIFA World Cup record. Statistics released by Opta show that the South American giants have now finished as runners-up on four occasions, matching Germany as the team with the most final defeats in World Cup history. Argentina previously lost the finals in 1930, 1990 and 2014, while Germany finished second in 1966, 1982, 1986 and 2002.

Lionel Scaloni’s side also endured another disappointing milestone, becoming the first team in FIFA World Cup history to complete the regulation 90 minutes of a final without registering a single shot.

Spain’s match-winner Ferran Torres equally entered the history books by becoming only the second substitute to score the winning goal in a FIFA World Cup final, following Germany’s Mario Götze, who achieved the feat against Argentina in the 2014 final.

The victory further extended Spain’s remarkable unbeaten run under head coach Luis de la Fuente. The European champions have now gone 38 consecutive matches without defeat across all competitions, recording 29 wins and nine draws. The achievement surpasses Italy’s previous European record of 37 unbeaten matches between 2018 and 2021, making Spain the national team with the longest unbeaten streak among European and South American men’s sides.