The quiet streets of St. James transformed into a raucous, carnival-style celebration on the night of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, as hundreds of football fans packed Universal Bar and spilled into surrounding areas to cheer on their teams, with Spain ultimately claiming an iconic 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina. The mood of celebration ignited the moment Ferran Torres scored the match’s only goal, a historic strike that secured Spain’s win and sent the large crowd of Spanish supporters into a frenzy of joy.
Led by bandleader Jamerson Joseph, the Belmont-based Phoenix Rhythm Section kicked into a high-energy, frenzied beat, while jubilant fans danced to popular soca hits from local superstars Machel Montano and Bunji Garlin. Draped in Spain’s iconic red and yellow jerseys and flags, supporters hugged, pranced around the venue, and chanted in unison: “Spain is the boss. We deserve a party.”
Across the bar, Argentina’s fanbase, identifiable by their light blue and white team apparel, grappled with disappointment, though most chose to stay and soak in the atmosphere of the historic final rather than leaving early. The match, which pitted Argentina’s legend Lionel Messi against Spain’s rising teen star Lamine Yamal, was broadcast on two large screens for the crowd. Fans gathered anywhere they could find a spot: sitting on folding chairs in the bar’s central aisle, perched on staircases, spilling out onto the adjacent street, and overflowing into the neighboring 52 Bar and the watering hole near St. James Market.
Bar proprietor Dennis kept the energy high by maintaining a steady flow of cold drinks, offering a special deal of 12 cold beers for $150 to keep the crowd refreshed through the final. Diego Martin resident Ricardo Jacob, one of the many vocal Spanish supporters in attendance, celebrated the win enthusiastically, noting he had hoped Yamal would score the decisive goal to mark a special coincidence on the 19th of the month for the 19-year-old winger. Jacob also pointed to a key turning point in the match: Enzo Fernández’s second yellow card, which left Argentina down to 10 men for the closing stretch of the game. “I knew it was all over for them when Argentina started playing with ten men. I was glad Enzo Fernández picked up his second yellow card,” Jacob said, referencing a local idiom to sum up Argentina’s defeat.
Even among Argentina’s supporters, the mood remained largely good-natured. Mark Riley, a die-hard Argentina fan celebrating his birthday at the watch party, still posed for photos with his family beside his blue-icing birthday cake. Notably, Riley’s wife Alysha, who had supported Spain throughout the tournament, shared her delight after the final whistle: “I am supporting Spain. I’m so glad they won. It feels great.”
The split loyalties extended across local public figures as well: former health minister Terrence Deyalsingh had publicly declared his support for Argentina ahead of the match, posing in his team’s shirt at Queen’s Park Oval and saying “It’s Argentina all the way.” Meanwhile, Spanish supporter Major Lawrence Wilson, who watched the match at the Oval, told reporters in a post-match phone interview he was over the moon with the result. “When Spain won, I was at the Oval. The crowd roared. Very few people supported Argentina. I was surprised. I made about six pit stops to celebrate Spain. I am heading to another bar in Chaguanas now,” Wilson said.
Wilson also highlighted the historic nature of Spain’s win, noting that the victory makes Spain the first country in football history to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup titles consecutively. The win also blocked Argentina’s attempt to become only the third men’s team in history to successfully defend a World Cup title, he added.
Veteran sportscaster Selwyn Melville, who correctly predicted a Spanish victory before the final, echoed that assessment of the Spanish side’s dominant run. Spain entered the final on an undefeated streak of more than 30 international matches, a run that Melville said reflected the team’s exceptional organization and tactical structure. “Basically, the Spanish played about 30-plus games without being beaten. Their structure and how they run the game shows they are very organised. It’s a hard team for anybody to beat. Even though Messi and they were defending champions. Spain had much more to offer,” Melville explained. He added that the Spanish side entered the final with a clear winning mentality, controlled the tempo of the match for most of the game, and the result was only a matter of time: “The Spanish came out with the will and wish to win a World Cup. I think they were very lucky to get to that stage. They had good opportunities. The Spanish were very much in control of the game and it was only a matter of time.”