World Cup Daily—Day 40: Congratulations to Spain

Spain had to dig in to snatch the crown away from Argentina.

⚽ World Cup Daily: Day 40 Spain is world champion once again. | Carl Recine/Getty Images And there you have it. Spain is your winner of the 2026 World Cup. It wasn’t always pretty, with Argentina’s determination to stifle Spain’s creativity making Sunday’s game a tough watch at times, but Ferran Torres’s extra-time strike was ultimately enough to make the difference. Given the heated nature of the 120 minutes, it should have come as no surprise to see the on-field brawl that followed the final whistle. Nevertheless, this was a perfect game plan from Spain, while Argentina departs the tournament licking its wounds. With the awarding of all the individual prizes, today brings the last of Sports Illustrated’s daily newsletters this summer. Thank you to all who have tuned in throughout this series. We now return to our usual twice-weekly setup to bring you the latest and greatest of all things soccer as we gear up for the return of club action. For one last time, let’s hear it for Spain. WORLD CUP NEWS    Recommended by  Lamine Yamal lifted yet another trophy. | Alex Pantling/FIFA/Getty Images YESTERDAY’S SCORE Spain 1–0 Argentina VISIT OUR WORLD CUP FAN ZONE  ⚽ Biggest World Cup Stories Carmen Mandato/FIFA/Getty Images (Mbappé), Johnnie Izquierdo/FIFA/Getty Images (Rodri), Scott Taetsch/FIFA/Getty Images (Haaland) The 2026 World Cup XI READ MORE Mandel NGAN/AFP/Getty Images 2026 World Cup Individual Award Winners: Full List READ MORE Alex Pantling/FIFA/Getty Images The Best Performance of the 2026 World Cup Final READ MORE Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated Ranking All 48 Teams at the End of the 2026 World Cup READ MORE ⚽ Away from the World Cup Marco BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images Arsenal’s Tzolis Deal Confirmed By Club Brugge’s Manager READ MORE Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images (Rogers), Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images (Chelsea) Three Ways Chelsea Could Line Up With Rogers READ MORE Get the print edition of Sports Illustrated delivered to your door. Click to subscribe! 📽 World Cup Today: SI FC Show Join the SI FC crew in New York City as they discuss the biggest World Cup talking points.  ⚽ The Great 48 The 2026 World Cup was bigger than ever, thanks to an expanded field that brought 48 teams to the festivities. With the help of an artist connected to each nation who was asked to capture the spirit of the game in their homeland, we’ve got what you need to know about all of the competitors. CHECK OUT ALL 48 WORLD CUP COVERS Join SI The Post-Up A weekly spotlight on the biggest stories and in-depth reporting of women’s basketball—from compelling athlete features to sharp commentary on the latest news and scores. CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE 💬 Chat with us ... Join the conversation. Share your thoughts, story ideas and feedback with us at newsletters@si.com We may receive compensation for some links to products and services included in this email. Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. 625 Broadway, 10th floor New York, NY. 10012 You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the SI FC newsletter. You can unsubscribe here . Privacy Policy – Terms & Conditions © 2026 Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. All betting and gambling content included in the SI FC newsletter is intended for individuals 21+ (18+ in DC, KY, NH, RI, and WY). Betting and gambling content, including picks and predictions, are based on individual commentators' opinions and we do not guarantee any success or profits. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or texting 800GAM. Click this link to view the newsletter in your browser.