FIFA's largest World Cup comes to close with Spain's 1-0 victory in extra time

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, with Barcelona striker Ferran Torres scoring the winning goal in the 106th minute to conclude the largest World Cup in the tournament's history.

The expanded 48-team format marked the first time men's World Cup games were held on Canadian soil. Vancouver and Toronto were among 16 host cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico. Over five weeks, Canada celebrated soccer as the national team made history with its strongest-ever showing at the tournament, reaching the round of 16 before elimination by Morocco on July 4.

Justin Bieber performed the tournament's first-ever halftime show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, strumming an acoustic guitar and singing his song Everything Hallelujah. Other Canadians in attendance included rapper Drake, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, singer-songwriter Tate McRae and model-actress Winnie Harlow.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney watched the match from a glassed-in suite alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. As the match kicked off, Carney posted a message on social media noting how hundreds of thousands of fans packed streets across the country to cheer on Canada. The national squad played with "extraordinary character, resilience, and grit," his post read. "Our team and our fans showed the world that Canada belongs on any pitch, against any team. Canada's soccer journey is just beginning. The best is yet to come."

TV viewership in Canada hit multiples of the previous 2022 tournament. The tournament drew an estimated 1.8 billion viewers worldwide for the final match.