Spain reveal raw nerves from 2026 World Cup final countdown

In a few days, Spain will mark one month since becoming world champions after beating Argentina 1-0 in New York, with Ferran Torres scoring the winning goal in the 106th minute.

The victory secured Spain’s first World Cup title since 2010, and the national team has now released a video showing the intense final moments before the result was confirmed.

Published on Spain’s social media accounts, the footage captures the tension inside the squad as the clock ran down in the 2026 World Cup final. Players on the bench are shown struggling to contain their emotions while waiting for the final whistle.

The caption accompanying the video read: “Time is running out. Nerves are tense. The players are panicking on the bench. Fabian is on the verge of a heart attack. Three minutes, two minutes, just one minute until we become… world champions. If you only have to watch one video today, let it be this one.”

Aymeric Laporte, Rodri Hernandez and Fabian Ruiz are among those featured. The players repeatedly cover their faces with their hands, appearing unable to watch the closing stages as Spain protect their narrow lead against Argentina.

The footage focuses on the anxiety rather than the eventual celebrations, offering a glimpse of how difficult the final minutes were for the players away from the action on the pitch. With Spain leading by a single goal, every passing moment brought the team closer to a historic triumph – but also prolonged the uncertainty for those waiting on the bench.

Torres’ decisive strike came 16 minutes into extra time in New York. It was enough to settle a final that Spain ultimately won 1-0 and complete a tournament campaign that had begun with a goalless draw against Cape Verde.

Spain followed that opening result with a 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia and a 1-0 win against Uruguay. They then advanced through the knockout stages by beating Austria 3-0, Portugal 1-0, Belgium 2-1 and France 2-0.

The social media release revisits the final countdown several weeks after the achievement, placing the players’ visible anxiety at the centre of Spain’s celebration of their return to the top of world football.

For Laporte, Rodri Hernandez, Ruiz and their team-mates, the video shows that the path to becoming world champions was not defined only by Torres’ extra-time finish or the eventual celebrations. It also included a long, tense wait in which three minutes became two, then one, before Spain could finally claim the title.