Messi, who had scored eight goals in the tournament and delivered four assists, was very quiet.

The newly crowned world champion sought only the solace and celebration of his mother and girlfriend, moments of quiet intimacy that anchored his historic achievement.

Spain went all the way round the footballing wheel on Sunday, from silk to sludge, from purity to persistence, and still ended up exactly where they wanted to be -- World Cup champions, with the ball at their feet and belief in their bones.

The 19-year-old Lamine learned to play football on the streets of Rocafonda, a working-class, multi-ethnic area of Mataro, a coastal city about 30 km (19 miles) north of Barcelona.

With Spain beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Monday, here is a look back at the tournament's roll of honour over the years.

Spain produced a dominant display to beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final and reclaim the title they last won in 2010 at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Monday.

From the opening whistle at MetLife Stadium, La Roja outclassed the defending champions, controlling the contest less through surgical brilliance and more through Argentina's total collapse in basic execution.

Pedro Porro has turned Spain's right flank from a vacancy into a personal runway, capping a dazzling World Cup charge by helping shackle France's flying attackers and scoring a thunderbolt in Wednesday's 2-0 semifinal win in Dallas.