Spain's Road to the Championship: How the "Red Fury" Won the World Cup for the Second Time
20 July 2026 17:10The Spanish national team became the World Cup champion for the second time in its history. In the 2026 World Cup final, Luis de la Fuente’s team defeated the defending champions, Argentina, by a narrow 1-0 margin in extra time. The winning goal was scored in the 106th minute by Ferran Torres, who had come on as a substitute.
Thus, Spain reclaimed the world’s premier soccer trophy 16 years after its triumph in South Africa.
Throughout the tournament, the Spanish team confirmed its status as one of the top favorites. The team demonstrated its usual ball control, disciplined defensive play, and composure in decisive moments. At the same time, the path to the gold medals was not an easy one: right at the start of the championship, Spain unexpectedly dropped points, and in the knockout stage, they had to defeat several very strong opponents in succession.
UA.News recounts how the Spanish national team reached the final step by step and became world champions for the second time.
An Unexpected Stumble at the Start and a Strong Finish to the Group Stage
Luis de la Fuente’s team arrived at the World Cup as one of the top contenders for the title. After winning Euro 2024, the Spanish team retained virtually the entire championship-winning roster, and young leaders like Lamina Yamal firmly established themselves as stars of world soccer. Together with Rodri, Dani Olmo, Fabián Ruiz, Nico Williams, and Mikel Oyarzabal, they formed one of the strongest teams in the tournament.
However, the start of the tournament proved unexpectedly difficult. In the first round, Spain faced World Cup debutant Cape Verde. The favorites controlled the ball for almost the entire match, but the African team played very compactly on defense, leaving their opponents no open space.
The Spaniards took numerous shots on goal, but created few truly dangerous chances. As a result, the match ended in a scoreless draw, which became one of the tournament’s first upsets.
It was precisely after this loss of points that de la Fuente’s team showed its true potential. In the second round, Spain literally tore Saudi Arabia apart. From the very first minutes, the Spaniards applied high pressure, moved the ball quickly, and regularly found open spaces on the flanks. They had effectively sealed the match’s outcome before halftime, and in the second half, they simply consolidated their lead. The 4–0 victory restored the team’s confidence and significantly improved its position in the tournament.
In the final match of the group stage, Spain faced Uruguay. This match was of great importance to both teams, as the winner would secure first place in the group. The Uruguayans relied on physical play and quick counterattacks, but the Spaniards patiently controlled the pace of the game, forcing their opponents to spend much of the time without the ball.
A single goal late in the first half gave Spain a 1–0 victory, bringing their total to seven points and securing first place in the group to advance to the knockout stage.
A Playoff with No Room for Error
In the first round of the playoffs, Spain faced Austria. Despite the final score of 3–0, the match was far from easy. The Austrians pressed aggressively and caused problems several times as the Spaniards tried to break out of their own half. However, after the first goal was scored, the game fell completely under the control of Luis de la Fuente’s team.
Quick combinations, active play on the wings, and a high conversion rate on scoring opportunities allowed them to build a lopsided lead and secure their spot in the next round without much difficulty.
In the Round of 16, Spain faced a crucial matchup against Portugal. It was a completely different style of soccer—cautious, tactical, and very defensive. Both teams were well aware of the cost of a mistake, so for a long time, they took almost no risks.
The Spaniards had more possession and gradually began to find open space between their opponents’ lines. A single well-placed shot in the second half proved decisive; after that, de la Fuente’s team managed the game effectively and held on to their narrow lead.
The quarterfinal against Belgium was arguably the toughest test at that point. The Belgians did not retreat into their own penalty area but instead played an open game with plenty of physical battles and dangerous chances at both ends.
After an exchange of goals, the match remained completely even for a long time. The decisive moment came midway through the second half, when Spain suddenly picked up the pace, pinned their opponents back near their own goal, and scored the winning goal. The 2–1 victory sent the “Red Fury” to the semifinals.
A Convincing Victory Over France
In the semifinals, Spain faced France—another tournament favorite. Many experts called this matchup an “early final,” as it pitted the two strongest teams in the tournament against each other.
However, the match turned out to be less evenly matched than expected. Luis de la Fuente’s team dictated the pace of the game to the French from the very start, controlled the ball more, and barely allowed their opponents to create any dangerous chances. The French launched several dangerous counterattacks, but the Spanish defense was virtually flawless.
Spain’s two goals were a natural result of their dominance. The 2–0 victory not only paved the way for the team to reach the final but also convinced many soccer experts that the Spaniards are the top contenders for the championship title.
The Final That Returned Spain to the Top of World Soccer
In the World Cup final, Spain faced Argentina—the reigning world champion, which had reached the final for the second time in a row. Expectations for this match were enormous, as the two best teams in the tournament were going head-to-head.
From the very start, the Spaniards tried to dictate the pace of the game. The team had more possession, gradually wore down the Argentine defense, and regularly looked for opportunities to finish. Argentina, on the other hand, relied on disciplined play without the ball and quick counterattacks, so the first half was a very tense battle.
After the break, Spain stepped up its intensity even further. Emiliano Martínez saved several dangerous shots on the Argentine goal, keeping his team in the game for a long time.
Regular time ended scoreless, and the key moment of the final came when Enzo Fernández was sent off early in extra time.
With the numerical advantage, Luis de la Fuente’s team immediately increased the pressure. In the 106th minute, Ferran Torres made a successful play in the penalty area and sent the ball into the back of the net. That goal turned out to be the only one of the match and secured a 1-0 victory for Spain.
The second World Cup title was the logical culmination of Luis de la Fuente’s work over the past several years.
Spain went from an unexpected draw at the start of the tournament to victories over Portugal, Belgium, France, and Argentina, confirming that it is currently the strongest national soccer team on the planet.
