Spain has claimed its second men’s World Cup title, defeating Argentina in a final held in New Jersey. The match saw Ferran Torres score the extra-time winner, securing a 1-0 victory for the Spanish side. This triumph marks Spain as world, Olympic, and European champions, in addition to being women’s world champions, and extends their unbeaten run to 38 matches across all competitions, a record for a European team.
The final was characterized by Spain’s dominance in possession and attacking play. They maintained 65% possession, registered 20 shots on goal with 11 on target, and had an expected goals tally of 1.94. In contrast, Argentina did not manage a shot on goal during the initial 90 minutes of the final, with their first attempt coming in the 117th minute from Lionel Messi. Spain’s goalkeeper, Unai Simon, earned the Golden Glove award for the tournament’s best goalkeeper, having kept his seventh clean sheet in eight matches and conceding only one goal throughout the World Cup.
Spain’s commanding performance
Spain’s victory was built on a foundation of control and a miserly defense, having been breached only once in their eight matches during the tournament. The team’s style, emphasizing possession and cohesive movements, was evident throughout the final. Two Spain players, Rodri and Pau Cubarsi, completed over 100 passes in the final, with Cubarsi achieving 121 passes and Rodri 101. This marks only the third instance on record of a player reaching this milestone in a World Cup final.
The breakthrough came in the 106th minute when Pedro Porro’s deep cross was headed back by substitute Nico Williams, setting up Ferran Torres for the decisive goal. Argentina’s goalkeeper, Emi Martínez, made 11 saves, the most by any goalkeeper on record in a World Cup final, highlighting Spain’s persistent offensive pressure.
Pau Cubarsi, at 19 years old, was named the young player of the tournament, while his Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal, at 19 years and six days, became the third-youngest player to play in a World Cup final, and now the third youngest winner. These young talents suggest a promising future for the Spanish squad.
Controversy and post-match reactions
The match also featured significant disciplinary incidents involving Argentina. Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Pau Cubarsi, leading to his dismissal. This occurred after he had already been booked for dissent. Following the final whistle, Leandro Paredes was involved in altercations with Rodri, Gavi, and Borja Iglesias, and was later shown a red card for grabbing Eric García by the throat. Additionally, Nahuel Molina was observed throwing a punch at a Spain player.
Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, acknowledged Spain’s deserved victory in his post-match comments, despite expressing curiosity about the outcome if his team had maintained 11 players on the pitch. Former England captain Alan Shearer described Spain’s win as a “victory for football” due to their playing style. The scenes after the match, including Argentina’s players turning their backs during the trophy presentation, drew criticism.
The final marked the fifth of the past six World Cup finals to go into extra time. Despite reaching this stage, Argentina’s overall performance was noted for its lack of ambition, with their defensive approach failing to prevent Spain from securing the title.
Lionel Messi, who had won two Copa Américas and the previous World Cup with Argentina, was unable to secure another title, and was visibly emotional after the match. Argentina had not lost a knockout tie since the 2019 Copa América before this final.
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Source: bbc.com
George Hartwell is the Senior Football Correspondent at News-GB.org, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with twelve years of reporting experience. He reported on West Country football before national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of the West of England and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Bristol, he watches grassroots football and writes a tactics column. “Tactics tell you more than any scoreline.”