Overview
- Spain beat Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, 2026, ending Argentina’s bid for back-to-back titles.
- Goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez started the final and made multiple crucial saves while playing through a fractured right-hand finger that he declined to have surgically repaired.
- Lisandro Martínez left in the first half with a posterior-thigh/adductor problem and his precise diagnosis was not released immediately after the match.
- Cristian Romero suffered a separate physical problem in the second half and was replaced, forcing Lionel Scaloni to bring on Nicolás Otamendi and Facundo Medina to reorganize the defense.
- The Argentine Football Association had not provided full medical reports after the final, leaving short-term recovery plans for the injured defenders and club-level implications still to be determined.