Caitlin Clark gives brutally honest review of Argentina-Spain World Cup final

Jul 20, 2026 - 20:40

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Caitlin Clark gives brutally honest review of Argentina-Spain World Cup final originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Caitlin Clark did not need a lengthy breakdown to explain how she felt about the 2026 World Cup final. The Indiana Fever star watched Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 in extra time Sunday, capturing its second World Cup championship and ending Lionel Messi’s bid for consecutive titles. Although the match featured two soccer giants and some of the sport’s biggest stars, it did not live up to the hype for Clark.

When asked for her reaction during Monday’s Fever practice, Clark delivered a blunt assessment.

“Boring, really boring,” Clark said, via The Athletic’s James Boyd.

It was a harsh review, but Clark certainly was not alone in feeling underwhelmed.

Caitlin Clark was not impressed by World Cup final

Spain controlled the match from the opening whistle, but that dominance did not immediately translate to the scoreboard. La Roja finished with 68 percent of the possession and attempted 20 shots. Argentina, meanwhile, generated only three shots and failed to put a single attempt on target.

Spain constantly pressured Argentina’s defense but could not find a goal during regulation. Two apparent goals were overturned following video reviews, allowing Messi and the defending champions to remain alive despite offering almost nothing in attack.

#Fever star Caitlin Clark’s full media:

• “Boring” World Cup final
• “Feeling good, great” after first B2B in two years
• “Options for everybody” with her forthcoming sneaker colors
• Favorite color so far are the all white
• Kelsey Mitchell love
• Sixth technical foul pic.twitter.com/WHbRgZOdmP
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) July 20, 2026

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 106th minute.

Ferran Torres, who entered the match as a substitute, scored the only goal and delivered Spain a 1-0 victory. The result gave the country its second men’s World Cup title and first since 2010. Spain became the first champion of the expanded 48-team tournament, which included a record 104 matches. FIFA confirmed that Torres’ extra-time winner completed Spain’s run to the championship.

The final also featured seven yellow cards and a red card for Argentina. Enzo Fernandez was dismissed after receiving his second yellow, leaving Argentina to finish the match with 10 players. Tensions continued after the final whistle as players from both sides became involved in a confrontation. By then, Spain had already ended Argentina’s four-year reign as world champion.

The final delivered a dramatic result, but the action before Torres’ goal offered little of the end-to-end excitement many viewers expected. Even Reuters described the match as a “grim final” while noting Argentina’s lack of attacking ambition. Clark was far less diplomatic.

MORE: Indiana Fever share fitting reaction after Caitlin Clark earns AP honor

Caitlin Clark turns attention back to Fever

Clark’s World Cup verdict came during a busy stretch in her own season. The Fever guard recently returned from a back injury that forced her to miss three games between late June and early July. Indiana initially limited her minutes, but Clark showed she was returning to top form with a historic performance against the Seattle Storm.

Clark scored a career-high and Fever-record 45 points while adding 10 assists, four steals and two blocks in Friday’s 110-107 victory. She became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 40 points and 10 assists in one game. Clark also became the fastest player in league history to reach 200 career 3-pointers, accomplishing the feat in 74 games.

Indiana returned to the court less than 24 hours later and defeated the New York Liberty 108-88. Clark finished with 17 points and a team-high seven assists in 26 minutes, while Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 33 points.

Playing in both games of the back-to-back set was an encouraging sign for Clark after the recent injury. She told reporters Monday that she was “feeling good, great” following the demanding weekend.

Clark is averaging 20.7 points, 7.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds through 22 games this season. Indiana has won four of its last five games and enters the week tied with the Atlanta Dream atop the Eastern Conference standings at 16-10.

The Fever will host the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET before Clark, Mitchell and Aliyah Boston head to Chicago as starters in the WNBA All-Star Game.

Clark might not have enjoyed the World Cup final, but Fever fans have had plenty to enjoy from her lately.