Kings of the world
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY—Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute of extra time as Spain defeated defending champion Argentina 1-0 on Sunday to capture its second Fifa World Cup title and cement its status as the dominant force in international soccer.
Torres, one of two Spanish substitutes involved in the decisive play, finished Nico Williams’ headed knockdown after a cross from Pedro Porro, ending Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez’s remarkable resistance and breaking a scoreless deadlock before a crowd of 80,663 at the MetLife Stadium.
Spain overwhelmed Argentina from the outset, outshooting Lionel Scaloni’s side 20-2 and completing nearly twice as many passes. Yet Martínez repeatedly denied Spain until Torres finally converted after Argentina had been reduced to 10 men following Enzo Fernández’s second yellow card deep into stoppage time.
“We had many chances, but Dibu was nothing short of exceptional,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after a tight final punctuated by cynical Argentine fouls.
Spain thought it had broken through earlier in extra time, only for Nico Williams’ goal to be ruled out after Mikel Merino was judged to have fouled Nicolás Otamendi in the buildup.
The breakthrough finally arrived when Pau Cubarsí started a flowing move that went through Marc Cucurella, Eric García, Martín Zubimendi and Lamine Yamal.
“I think, at the end of the day, it was a goal scored by 47 million people,” Torres said. “I was heavily criticized during the World Cup, but I kept believing.”
De la Fuente said the goal reminded him of Andrés Iniesta’s extra-time winner that secured Spain’s first World Cup title in 2010.
“That image was very vivid in my mind,” he said.
Spain survived late Argentine pressure to complete an unbeaten tournament in which it conceded just one goal, extending its unbeaten run to 38 matches.
The loss marked a disappointing finish for Lionel Messi, who was unable to lead Argentina to consecutive World Cup titles. Twenty years after his World Cup debut, the 39-year-old captain struggled to influence the match as Spain’s midfield controlled possession and limited his opportunities.
“The first idea was to keep Messi at bay,” de la Fuente said.
“They were the better side—that’s the truth,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “But I’ll always cherish what this team achieved.”
Spain captain Rodri was named the tournament’s best player after anchoring a team that dominated throughout the competition.
“I think now we’re like in a cloud,” Rodri said. “It’s been a very tough time. I just want the new generations to see my example as an opportunity—when you go down you can rise again.”
The title also made Spain the first nation to simultaneously hold the men’s and women’s World Cup crowns.
The victory completed one of the most dominant World Cup campaigns in history.
Goalkeeper Unai Simón finished the tournament with just 10 saves, while Martínez was forced into 11 saves in the final alone as Argentina spent much of the match defending.
The defeat likely marked the end of Messi’s World Cup career. Messi started his third World Cup final but was unable to find space against Spain’s disciplined defense. After the final whistle, several Spanish players embraced Messi before he collected his runner-up medal.
The postgame celebration was briefly overshadowed by a scuffle after the final whistle when Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes grabbed Spain defender Eric García by the throat during a confrontation that also saw substitute Gavi knocked to the ground.
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