Spain players celebrate after defeating Argentina to win the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. [Yonhap]
Spain players celebrate after defeating Argentina to win the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. [Yonhap]

South Korean football fans are buzzing over Spain's dramatic victory at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, where the Spanish national team defeated Lionel Messi's Argentina to claim the title.

Online communities and social media were flooded Monday with praise for Spain's performance in the final. Fans expressed admiration for a team that dominated from start to finish, mixed with a tinge of sadness about the state of South Korean football.

"To think that Spain — the team we beat in 2002 — has now won the World Cup," one user wrote. "I still can't believe we actually beat them back then. Looking at Korean football today, it seems like something that could never happen again."

Another user said Spain "played football with no visible weaknesses," adding, "Even with Messi on the other side, Spain was completely dominant in team play."

Many others vented frustration at the state of the domestic game. "Korean football can never move forward unless the Korea Football Association resolves its deep-rooted problems," one user wrote. "Yet even as public sentiment has turned this sour, those in power are only scrambling to protect their positions — and lashing out instead. It's bleak."

Spain defeated top-ranked Argentina 1-0 in the final, held at MetLife Stadium in New York, after extra time.

Spain dominated throughout but could not break through goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who put on a stunning display of saves. The winner finally came in the 91st minute of extra time, when Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal.

Argentina failed to register a single shot on goal in 90 minutes under Spain's suffocating defense — a first in World Cup final history. There was no Messi magic.

The victory gave Spain its second World Cup title overall and its first since the 2010 tournament in South Africa, 16 years ago.

For the second consecutive tournament, the final was a Europe-versus-South America matchup. A European side lifted the trophy for the first time since France won the 2018 tournament in Russia, eight years ago.

Spain became the first country to hold both the men's and women's World Cup titles simultaneously, having won the women's tournament in 2023.


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