Ferran Torres Breaks Argentine Hearts As Spain Win Cagey World Cup Final

Spain crowned World Cup Champions

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final after extra time. Martinez kept Argentina alive but Torres’ 106th-minute goal sealed it for La Roja.

Extra-time winner sees Spain finally see off 10-man Argentina to win second World Cup...

Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner gave Spain a second World Cup title after a 1-0 win over 10-man Argentina. The victory also extended Spain’s record run to 38 games unbeaten, an all-time European best.

A late strike from Ferran Torres in extra time earned Spain their second World Cup. The 1-0 win over Argentina also took Spain to 38 matches unbeaten, setting a new European record.

  

Big finals usually bring nerves, but Spain looked calm from the start. Their aggressive start nearly brought an early goal. Lamine Yamal created the chance, cutting inside on the right and forcing Emiliano Martinez into a save with a deflected shot.

  

Beyond that, the first 30 minutes were quiet in front of goal. The big talking point was a tough tackle from Alexis Mac Allister on Dani Olmo. The referee didn’t book him, which frustrated the Spanish players.

 

Emiliano Martinez had more to do than his opposite number in the first half, though he wasn’t seriously tested. Five minutes before the break he dropped to his left to collect a long-range Mikel Oyarzabal shot.

Marc Cucurella’s shot flashed just wide right on the stroke of half-time. It summed up a tense opening 45 minutes that produced only three shots in total - a record low for a World Cup final first half.

  

If the dull first half wasn’t frustrating enough, a first-ever World Cup final half-time show meant FIFA’s top two ranked teams had to wait even longer to get going again.

There was a brief Kermit appearance, but in the 64th minute Martinez nearly turned into the villain himself. He spilled Dani Olmo’s long-range effort, but got lucky as the ball bobbled just past the post.

Martinez stayed busy and was called into action again soon after, getting down well to hold Ferran Torres’ close-range header. It was a vital stop as Spain’s pressure kept building.

The match swung late in stoppage time. Enzo Fernandez was shown a yellow for dissent, then picked up a second for a late tackle on Pau Cubarsi. That made him only the sixth player ever sent off in a World Cup final.

Emiliano Martinez kept Argentina alive with a late save to deny Lamine Yamal with virtually the last kick. That sent it to extra time. But with 10 men, Argentina were in trouble — they also made unwanted history as the first team in a World Cup final to have zero shots in 90 minutes.

Nico Williams thought he’d put Spain further ahead five minutes into extra time, reacting first to tap into an empty net. But his celebrations were cut short as referee Slavko Vincic ruled it out for a foul by Mikel Merino on Nicolas Otamendi in the build-up.

Argentina’s resistance finally cracked in the 106th minute. Ferran Torres was alive to Nico Williams’ knockdown in the box and smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

The win gave Spain their sixth trophy from seven major finals. For Argentina and Messi, it was a missed chance to back up their 2022 triumph and become the first team in 64 years to defend the World Cup. It was also likely Messi’s final game for his country.