The Spanish national team lifts the World Cup for the second time in the history of "La Roja's" participation.
The Spanish national team lifted the World Cup for the second time in its history, after defeating its Argentine counterpart 1-0 after extra time on Sunday, in the final match held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA.
"La Roja" secured the title with a goal scored by substitute Ferran Torres in the 106th minute of the second extra half, taking advantage of his team's numerical superiority after Argentine midfielder Enzo FernƔndez was sent off in stoppage time of the second half, ending "La Tango's" hopes of retaining the title they won in 2022.
Spain repeated the scenario of its first title in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when it also needed extra time to clinch the final against the Netherlands with a goal from AndrƩs Iniesta, adding a second star to its global record.
The final, attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, saw a clear superiority of the Spanish team in terms of possession and creating chances, despite the large turnout of Argentine supporters who filled the stands of MetLife Stadium.
The Spaniards imposed their style from the beginning and were not affected by the great enthusiasm shown by the Argentine players before the match started, while the South American team struggled to reach the goal of Unai SimĆ³n, due to the tight defensive organization imposed by coach Luis de la Fuente's squad.
The Argentine team received a heavy blow in the third minute of stoppage time in the second half, after Enzo FernƔndez was sent off for receiving a second yellow card, leaving them to finish the match with ten players, which Spain exploited in extra time to score the winning goal through Ferran Torres.
Lionel Messi did not perform at the expected level, as he found himself isolated in the front line and failed to make a difference, settling for achieving two new records, becoming the oldest player to participate in a World Cup final at the age of 39 years and 25 days, and the first player to start in three World Cup finals, after the 2014, 2022, and 2026 editions.