Argentina, who had fought back to eliminate Egypt and England in the knockout rounds, were unable to produce another comeback as Spain held firm to
By Moses Okorie
Spain were crowned FIFA World Cup champions after defeating 10-man Argentina 1-0 in an attritional final, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive extra-time winner to hand La Roja their second men’s world title.
The European champions dominated much of the contest and created the better scoring opportunities against the defending champions, whose disciplined but physical approach frustrated Spain for long periods.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 106th minute when substitute Nico Williams headed the ball into the path of Torres, who fired a powerful close-range effort beyond Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to seal victory.
The final, however, fell well short of the spectacle many had anticipated. Frequent stoppages, robust challenges and a lack of attacking rhythm turned the contest into a tense battle of endurance rather than a showcase of footballing brilliance.
Away from the pitch, the occasion was marked by plenty of glamour. United States President Donald Trump arrived at the stadium in New Jersey aboard one of several helicopters, while global music stars Shakira, Madonna and Justin Bieber headlined the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show, extending the interval to 27 minutes.
On the field, Spain enjoyed the brighter start, with Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal both testing Martinez before the break. Despite Spain’s dominance in possession, Argentina’s defence remained resilient, while referee Slavko Vincic came under criticism from the Spanish players for allowing several robust tackles to go unpunished in the opening stages.
The first booking did not arrive until the 40th minute when Lisandro Martinez fouled Oyarzabal. The Argentine defender was later forced off through injury.
Tempers flared deep into stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez, already on a yellow card, was shown a second booking and sent off for a reckless challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi, leaving Argentina to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.
Martinez kept Argentina in contention with a series of outstanding saves. He denied Yamal with a brilliant stop from a late free-kick at the end of normal time and followed it up with another impressive save from Williams early in extra time. Williams also had the ball in the net, only for the effort to be ruled out after substitute Mikel Merino was adjudged to have fouled Nicolas Otamendi in the build-up.
Argentina, who had fought back to eliminate Egypt and England in the knockout rounds, were unable to produce another comeback as Spain held firm to secure the historic triumph.
The victory not only earned Spain their second men’s FIFA World Cup title but also made history, as they became the first nation to simultaneously hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup crowns.