The Crossbill Sports Desk
Spain ended Argentina's reign as FIFA World Cup champions with a hard-fought 1-0 victory after extra time in the final, as Ferran Torres' decisive strike sealed the title and denied Lionel Messi a second consecutive World Cup triumph.
The win earned Luis de la Fuente's side their second men's World Cup crown after a tense contest that remained goalless through regulation time.
Spain controlled possession for much of the match but struggled to break down a disciplined Argentine defence. Lionel Scaloni's side remained organised despite sustained pressure, though their challenge took a major hit when Enzo Fernandez was shown a second yellow card late in normal time, forcing Argentina to play the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
Spain finally capitalised on the numerical advantage in the 106th minute when Torres found the breakthrough, scoring the only goal of the final to spark jubilant celebrations among the Spanish players and supporters.
The game failed to live up to expectations as it descended into a war of attrition - while away from the action, this was the World Cup where razzmatazz and superstars came to the showpiece.
President Donald Trump flew in to New Jersey in one of a fleet of helicopters before kick-off, while Shakira, Madonna and Justin Bieber performed in the first World Cup half-time show, stretching the interval out to 27 minutes.
In a dour affair littered with interruptions, followed by that lengthy interval, the game never had any fluency or flow, although Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal forced first-half saves out of Argentina keeper Martinez.
Spain repeatedly voiced frustration over referee Slavko Vincic's handling of the match, particularly after Alexis Mac Allister's late challenge on Dani Olmo escaped an immediate booking. The first yellow card of the game came only after 40 minutes when Lisandro Martinez fouled Oyarzabal, although the Manchester United defender was later forced off through injury.
Tempers flared in stoppage time when Fernandez, already on a booking, received his second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi, leaving Argentina to defend with a man down in extra time.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez kept his side alive on several occasions, producing a brilliant save from Lamine Yamal's free-kick in the closing moments of normal time before denying Nico Williams with another outstanding stop. Williams also had the ball in the net during extra time, but the effort was disallowed after substitute Mikel Merino was adjudged to have fouled Nicolas Otamendi in the build-up.
Having fought back to eliminate Egypt and England in the knockout rounds, Argentina were unable to produce another comeback in the final as Spain held firm to secure the trophy. The victory also saw Spain become the first nation to simultaneously hold both the men's and women's FIFA World Cup titles.
The win earned Luis de la Fuente's side their second men's World Cup crown after a tense contest that remained goalless through regulation time.
Spain controlled possession for much of the match but struggled to break down a disciplined Argentine defence. Lionel Scaloni's side remained organised despite sustained pressure, though their challenge took a major hit when Enzo Fernandez was shown a second yellow card late in normal time, forcing Argentina to play the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
Spain finally capitalised on the numerical advantage in the 106th minute when Torres found the breakthrough, scoring the only goal of the final to spark jubilant celebrations among the Spanish players and supporters.
The game failed to live up to expectations as it descended into a war of attrition - while away from the action, this was the World Cup where razzmatazz and superstars came to the showpiece.
President Donald Trump flew in to New Jersey in one of a fleet of helicopters before kick-off, while Shakira, Madonna and Justin Bieber performed in the first World Cup half-time show, stretching the interval out to 27 minutes.
In a dour affair littered with interruptions, followed by that lengthy interval, the game never had any fluency or flow, although Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal forced first-half saves out of Argentina keeper Martinez.
Spain repeatedly voiced frustration over referee Slavko Vincic's handling of the match, particularly after Alexis Mac Allister's late challenge on Dani Olmo escaped an immediate booking. The first yellow card of the game came only after 40 minutes when Lisandro Martinez fouled Oyarzabal, although the Manchester United defender was later forced off through injury.
Tempers flared in stoppage time when Fernandez, already on a booking, received his second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi, leaving Argentina to defend with a man down in extra time.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez kept his side alive on several occasions, producing a brilliant save from Lamine Yamal's free-kick in the closing moments of normal time before denying Nico Williams with another outstanding stop. Williams also had the ball in the net during extra time, but the effort was disallowed after substitute Mikel Merino was adjudged to have fouled Nicolas Otamendi in the build-up.
Having fought back to eliminate Egypt and England in the knockout rounds, Argentina were unable to produce another comeback in the final as Spain held firm to secure the trophy. The victory also saw Spain become the first nation to simultaneously hold both the men's and women's FIFA World Cup titles.
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