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Spain are men's world padel champions again. In Saturday night's final in Doha, the Spanish team beat Argentina 2-1, ending a five-year wait and the Argentines' run of two straight world titles. Combined with the women's 2-0 win over the same opponents earlier in the day, it gave Spain a clean sweep of both team titles in Qatar.
Lebrón and Goñi set the tone
The opening match turned out to be the key moment of the night. Coach Juanjo Gutiérrez sent out a pairing few had expected for a world final: Juan Lebrón alongside Aimar Goñi, a newcomer playing his first World Cup, against Martín Di Nenno and Leandro Augsburger. The Argentines took the first set 7-5 and led 4-2 in the second, with the Spaniards also trailing 30-0 on serve. Lebrón and Goñi then turned the match around to win 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 after more than two hours.
Argentina hit back straight away. Agustín Tapia, who shares the world number one spot with Coello, and Federico Chingotto beat Francisco "Paquito" Navarro and Jon Sanz 6-1, 6-2 in 55 minutes, leaving the final level at 1-1.
Coello and Nieto close it out
Gutiérrez had held world number one Arturo Coello back for the deciding third match, and it worked. With Jorge "Coki" Nieto beside him, Coello beat Gonzalo Alfonso and Valentino Libaak 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and twenty minutes, and the title was Spain's.
This is Spain's fifth men's world title, after 1998, 2008, 2010 and 2021. It is also a measure of revenge. Spain had lost the 2022 and 2024 finals to Argentina, which still holds the record with twelve world titles. The two countries have met in every men's final except 2006 and 2012, when Argentina beat Brazil. Spain won this one without Alejandro Galán, who missed the tournament injured and was replaced in the squad by Javier Leal.
A coach's gamble and Paquito's farewell
Before the final, Gutiérrez's line-up was seen as a big risk. At the post-match press conference, Coello admitted he had not been fully convinced by the Lebrón-Goñi pairing himself, but praised his coach's nerve. "He saw something, he felt something different," Coello said, according to Padel Addict. In comments carried by the FIP, the players credited Gutiérrez's decisions with shaping the final and said they had done the rest on court.
Spain's World Cup MVP: Why Coki Nieto's Efficiency Overshadowed the Spotlight
Goñi, the surprise of the night, kept it simple: he was "very happy to have been able to bring the Cup home." Lebrón, who said the week had been emotionally intense for him, signed off with a "¡Viva España!"
The night also marked the end of an era. Navarro confirmed that Doha was his final tournament in a Spain shirt. He had reportedly asked his teammates before the event to play it as if it were their last World Cup too. He also thanked Gutiérrez publicly for trusting him and called for more respect for the coach after the criticism he faced before the final.
Back to the tour
The party will not last long. Most of the finalists now head straight back to the Premier Padel circuit, where the Dubai P1 runs from 9 to 15 November. Coello, Tapia and company will meet again as rivals there, with the season-ending Major in Mexico and the Finals in December still to come.
