Jubilation in Spain as La Roja beat Argentina to win second World Cup title

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that celebrations broke out across Spain after the national team, La Roja, defeated Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, 2026. The match was decided in extra time by a goal from Ferran Torres, giving Spain its second World Cup title. Supporters gathered around large public screens, then filled streets with Spanish flags, fireworks and chants as festivities continued into the early hours of Monday.

The report focused on Castelldefels, a Mediterranean town south of Barcelona, where the final carried a distinctive local dynamic. Al Jazeera said both Spanish and Argentine fans watched together there, reflecting the area’s sizeable Argentine emigrant community. The town is also closely associated with Lionel Messi, who spent many of his most successful club years at Barcelona and previously lived in Castelldefels.

That connection helped explain why many Argentina supporters and neutral fans in the town wore Messi’s No. 10 shirt during the final. The article noted that Catalonia has Spain’s largest Argentine expatriate population, citing 37,980 residents, and described local restaurants, football shirts and family ties that made the fixture feel more mixed than a typical Spain home celebration.

Al Jazeera also noted wider political tensions surrounding Argentina during the tournament, including controversy over a Falkland Islands banner after the semifinal against England and debate in Spain over Argentine President Javier Milei’s stance toward Israel. In Castelldefels, however, the report said those disputes appeared secondary to the shared experience of watching a close final between communities with deep football and family links.