Spain shattered Italy’s record of 37 consecutive competitive matches without defeat by beating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, extending their own unbeaten run to 38 games, per **[Football Italia](https://football-italia.net/spain-break-italy-unbeaten-record-38-games/)**.
It went all the way to extra time, where Ferran Torres eventually broke down 10-man Argentina to give Spain the trophy. The victory was the culmination of a tournament in which Spain progressed to the final, a match previewed at [JuveFC’s World Cup semi-final predictions](https://www.juvefc.com/world-cup-semi-final-france-spain-predictions/).
Italy’s Records – Lost and Preserved
------------------------------------
Italy’s 37-match unbeaten sequence was built under Roberto Mancini between 2018 and 2021. That record is now history. However, Argentina’s defeat means two other Azzurri landmarks survive intact.
Italy and Germany remain the only nations to have won the World Cup on four occasions, both sitting behind Brazil’s five. Argentina stay on three. Italy also retain their status as one of only two sides – alongside Brazil – to have won consecutive World Cups, having claimed the trophy in both 1934 and 1938; Brazil matched the feat in 1958 and 1962.
A Painful Parallel for the Nazionale
------------------------------------
The contrast is uncomfortable viewing for Azzurri supporters. Whatever result had emerged from New Jersey was always going to cost Italy something in the history books – as it turned out, it cost them the record they could least afford to lose.
At Juve FC, Luca covers match analysis, squad news, and the longer threads that run through a Juventus season. He writes with the perspective of someone who genuinely cares about where the club is heading rather than simply reporting what has already happened. His focus tends to lean toward how the team sets up, where things break down, and what needs to change to get back to where Juventus belongs in the European conversation.