EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Ferran Torres clinched Spain’s second men’s World Cup title with an extra-time winner against reigning world champions Argentina in a bad-tempered final marred by Enzo Fernández‘s red card for a reckless foul on Pau Cubarsí.
Barcelona forward Torres, a 62nd-minute substitute for Mikel Oyarzabal, sealed a 1-0 win for the European champions when he struck from close range in the 106th minute after Nico Williams had headed Pedro Porro‘s cross into his path.
“The goal belonged to 47 million people,” Torres said. “It wasn’t just mine or the 26 players. Destiny was written, and it was meant for us to win far away from our people.”
– VAR review: Why Fernandez red card was deserved?
By that stage, Argentina had been reduced to 10 players following the dismissal of Chelsea midfielder Fernández after his 90th minute foul on Cubarsí that left referee Slavko Vincic with no option but to issue a second yellow card and a red to the 2022 World Cup winner.
Spain had dominated the game in New Jersey and created countless scoring opportunities without being able to convert them. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez finished with 11 saves, the most ever in a World Cup final.
Spain’s dominance was such that Argentina did not register their first shot at goal until Lionel Messi had an attempt blocked in the 117th minute.
The 39-year-old Messi, who became the first man to start three World Cup finals and the oldest outfield player to start a final, finished the tournament with eight goals, two behind France’s Kylian Mbappé in the battle for the Golden Boot.
While he has yet to confirm his future plans, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has likely finished his World Cup career with 21 goals, one behind Mbappé for the leading all-time scorer.
“I feel sad,” said Messi, who was moved to tears after receiving his runner-up medal and staring into the crowd at Argentina supporters. “They were better, to be honest.”
Argentina, aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, were unable to match up to Spain, with even Inter Miami star Messi failing to trouble Luis de la Fuente’s team.
“I feel sadness but knowing that we left everything out there,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “I have a lot of things to say about how we got here but it’s not worth it. I want to thank these guys eternally for giving us another World Cup final and for competing until the end.
“They were better, that’s the truth. But I’ll cherish on to an enormous memory of this group and what they’ve done, of what it’s worth to get this far.”
And Spain resisted late Argentina pressure to win the game and their first World Cup since defeating the Netherlands in South Africa in 2010.
“When you have Messi on the other side, well, you are nervous,” Torres said. “At the end of the day, we always depended on us. We always come up with our football, and we showed it again.”
The Spanish finish the World Cup with just one goal allowed, the fewest for a World Cup winner despite playing more games (eight) than any previous champion.
The win made De la Fuente, at 65, the oldest coach to lead a team to the World Cup title.
“We are world champions,” De la Fuente said. “It was together we reached this stage.”
As well as a second World Cup title, Spain’s win extended their unbeaten streak to 38 games in all competitions (29-9-0 W-D-L), breaking a tie with Italy (2018-21) for the longest by a men’s national team.
They are the third reigning European champions to win the World Cup title, matching the Spain team of 2008-10 and 1972-74 West Germany.
It was the 104th and last match of the biggest World Cup ever, a 48-team event that played out over the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Because there were more matches than any previous World Cup, it was no surprise that there were more goals than all other editions — 307 and counting entering Sunday.
The spectacle was not limited to simply soccer.
Celebrities — from all walks of life — were there. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Matt Damon were among the actors at the game. The NBA had enough talent there for a full All-Star Game, with the list of players attending including Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant and James Harden.
Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz were among the tennis royalty watching, the NFL had names like Eli Manning, Patrick Mahomes, Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley in attendance, two of the greatest U.S. skiers ever in Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn were at the match — and, of course, there was soccer royalty with the likes of Kaka, David Beckham, Didier Drogba and Zinedine Zidane as well as a reunion of Spain’s victorious 2010 team.
Post Malone headlined the closing ceremony, which started about 90 minutes before the final was set to begin and just a few minutes after Messi and Argentina arrived at the stadium. The halftime show — a first for FIFA and part of a 27-minute break — featured Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and BTS, along with Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the PS 22 Chorus with Coldplay and even characters from Sesame Street and the Muppets.
President Donald Trump was present as well, with plans calling for him to be part of the trophy presentation at the conclusion of the match.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
