Spain 1-0 Argentina player ratings: Emiliano Martinez heroics not enough to stop La Roja's march to second world title

Ferran Torres was the hero for Spain on Sunday, as La Roja claimed a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final.

Luis de la Fuente's men entered the decider as favourites to beat Lionel Scaloni's side, and the reigning European champions dominated their opponent in a one-sided final, outshooting the dethroned world champions 20-2.

In a match that saw Lionel Messi fail to sparkle and Enzo Fernandez receive a second yellow for an inane tackle, the Albiceleste did themselves little justice when it mattered most in New Jersey. 

Here, Sports Mole provides player ratings for the 2026 World Cup final.

Spain player ratings vs. Argentina: Torres breaks deadlock for persistent La Roja

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GOALKEEPER

Unai Simon - 5/10

The Golden Glove winner had little to do for the game's entirety en route to another clean sheet.

DEFENCE

Pedro Porro - 6/10

Pau Cubarsi - 7/10

The young player of the tournament handled his minimal defensive duties with little fuss, winning seven of his 10 duels.

Aymeric Laporte - 6/10

Marc Cucurella - 6/10

Was busy in thebuild-up and in the attacking third, but little came off. 

MIDFIELD

Dani Olmo - 6/10

Rodri - 8/10

The Golden Ball winner controlled the game and was smart out of possession, successful in 80% of 10 duels before and winning three of four tackles before his 99th-minute withdrawal. 

Fabian Ruiz - 5/10

ATTACK

Lamine Yamal - 7/10

Missed an early chance and was Spain's most threatening attacker throughout the match, forcing a save out of Emiliano Martinez at the death.

Mikel Oyarzabal - 5/10

Withdrawn on the hour, ending his fine run of scoring in finals after goals in the 2020 Copa del Rey, 2021 Olympics, 2021 Nations League, 2024 Euros, 2025 Nations League and 2026 Copa del Rey deciders.

Alex Baena - 5/10

SUBSTITUTES

Pedri - 7/10

Created four chances against a passive Argentina after coming on just before the hour, including one of the four deemed clear-cut. 

Ferran Torres - 6/10

Spain's hero, emulating Andreas Iniesta with an extra-time goal to win La Roja their second World Cup title.

Mikel Merino - 7/10

Was an undeniable threat off the bench, narrowly diverting a header off target in the first half of extra time, having been involved in a move that resulted in a disallowed Spain goal.

Nico Williams - 6/10

Williams set up Torres's winning goal, and even though he completed just one of four dribbles, he gave Spain another focal point of attack after his 75th-minute introduction.

Eric Garcia - 5/10

Martin Zubimendi - 5/10

Argentina player ratings vs. Spain: Emiliano Martinez heroics not rewarded

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GOALKEEPER

Emiliano Martinez - 9/10

Made two decent-to-good saves to thwart Spain in the opening half, one preventing Yamal from scoring an early goal, which set the tone for a busy night.

Martinez was the busier shot-stopper for the rest of the night, thwarting Yamal again with the last kick of normal time to force extra time.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper ultimately made a staggering 11 saves in defeat, setting a new record in the final of the global tournament. 

DEFENCE

Gonzalo Montiel - 5/10

Cristian Romero - 6/10

Lisandro Martinez - 6/10

Had a decent outing before his first-half substitution, minutes after receiving the opening 45's only booking.

Nicolas Tagliafico - 5/10

The 33-year-old a decent game against Yamal, especially considering that he faced off with the youngster for the game's 120 minutes.

MIDFIELD

Rodrigo De Paul - 4/10

Barely made an impact with and without possession and was withdrawn with 20 minutes of normal time to play as Scaloni sought solutions. 

Enzo Fernandez - 2/10

Silly second yellow left a team already with their backs to the wall even more exposed. 

Alexis Mac Allister - 5/10

Made mistakes in possession and was fortunate to not receive a first-half booking. 

Nicolas Gonzalez - 5/10

Withdrawn at the break after a run-of-the-mill performance.

ATTACK

Lionel Messi - 4/10

Messi had an ineffectual opening 45 minutes, touching the ball just 16 times as Argentina failed to muster an attempt. 

Only came alive after the Albiceleste fell behind, taking one of their two attempts, but it was too little too late for the dethroned world champions.

Julian Alvarez - 4/10

Had to do a lot of running and was eventually replaced by Marcos Senesi in the 102nd minute. 

SUBSTITUTES

Nicolas Otamendi - 5/10

Leandro Paredes - 4/10

How did he avoid a dismissal? Paredes played on the edge after replacing Gonzalez at the break, and it was a mystery why Slavko Vincic was lenient with the midfielder after booking him in the 52nd minute.

Nahuel Molina - 5/10

Facundo Medina - 5/10

Giuliano Someone - 4/10

Missed Argentina's best chance of the final, blazing over from close range when he could have forced penalties.

Marcos Senesi - N/A

Introduced for Alvarez in in extra time.