Spain's Youth Movement Dethrones Aging Argentina In Thrilling World Cup Final

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — This summer’s World Cup was truthful good, cipher wanted it to end.

So Spain and Argentina played connected and connected successful Sunday’s final, done 90 minutes of regularisation past done a 15-minute other play earlier Ferran Torres gave Spain nan only extremity it would request to declare nan title pinch a 1-0 victory complete Argentina astatine a sold-out MetLife Stadium.

It was an epic decorativeness to an epic tournament, 1 that group records for everything from attendance and TV viewers to games played and goals scored. And it was almost surely nan past World Cup for Argentine skipper Lionel Messi, 39, who vanished his record-setting sixth tourney arsenic nan all-time leader successful games (34), assists (12) and extremity contributions (33).

His parting gift was a metallic medal, a handshake from President Trump and a hug from nan King of Spain. But nary of those were nan prize he wanted most, truthful erstwhile he near nan shape aft receiving his medal, he collapsed down successful tears.

A swarming Spanish defense made him small much than a spectator for astir of nan match. So while Argentina came into nan last starring nan tourney successful goals per game, it besides became nan first squad to spell 90 minutes without a azygous changeable successful a World Cup final. It was outshot 20-2 for nan crippled and Spanish keeper Unai Simón, who gave up conscionable 1 extremity successful 8 matches, was not forced to make a prevention successful registering his seventh cleanable sheet.

He was named nan outstanding keeper of nan tournament.

That allowed Torres, who started conscionable erstwhile successful nan tournament, to go nan hero.

“Honestly, I can’t judge it. I conscionable americium trying to bask it, but I don’t cognize what’s happening,” he said. “I didn’t deliberation excessively much. I conscionable saw nan shot coming to maine and I conscionable changeable pinch nan powerfulness of each nan Spanish people.”

Spain’s Ferran Torres celebrates aft scoring successful other clip against Argentina successful nan World Cup last Sunday.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Rodri, Spain’s skipper and nan anchor of nan team’s smothering defense, was arsenic stunned.

“I’m successful shock,” he said. “I cannot definitive [my feelings] successful words. I’m for illustration successful a cloud.”

For Rodri, who besides led Spain to a European Championship 2 years ago, Sunday’s triumph capped a individual two-year struggle to return from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament he sustained successful 2024, a period earlier he hobbled connected shape pinch crutches to person nan grant arsenic nan world’s champion player.

“It’s been a really reliable time,” said nan midfielder, who collapsed nan World Cup grounds for completed passes successful nan tourney pinch 692. “I conscionable want caller generations to spot my illustration arsenic an opportunity to erstwhile you spell down, you tin emergence again. This is my accuracy my full life.

“Sometimes things spell well, things spell wrong. But ever nan positive.”

Highlights from Spain’s 1-0 triumph complete Argentina successful nan World Cup last connected Sunday.

The only extremity came seconds into nan 2nd extra-time period, pinch defender Pedro Porro sending a agelong transverse to nan near station for Nico Williams, who headed it backmost into nan halfway of nan container for Torres, a second-half substitute who buried nan left-footed volley to springiness Spain its 2nd World Cup title.

Torres, who entered nan crippled conscionable past nan hr mark, is conscionable nan 5th man to travel disconnected nan chair and people successful a World Cup last and nan first since Germany’s Mario Gotze, whose extra-time extremity hit Argentina successful 2014. Williams, who sewage nan assist, was besides a late-game substitute.

“We are world champions. I americium very proud,” Luis de la Fuente, Spain’s coach, said done an expert aft his squad ran its unbeaten streak to a grounds 38 games.

“I’m very happy for my players. We’ve won successful each nan categories,” he continued. “We’ve grown together. We reached this shape coming acknowledgment to their talent, to their attitude, to their comportment, to their values and to nan immense footballing talent.”

The extremity ruined a super-human effort by Argentine keeper Emiliano Martínez, who made 11 saves while playing pinch a fractured correct ringing digit that will require surgery. That’s 2 much saves than he had complete nan remainder of nan tournament.

But nan infinitesimal that whitethorn person sealed Argentina’s destiny came successful nan last minutes of second-half stoppage clip erstwhile Enzo Fernández clattered into Spanish halfway backmost Pau Cubarsí astatine midfield, flipping him caput complete heels. Fernández had been booked minutes earlier for dissent and nan 2nd yellowish paper led to his expulsion, forcing Argentina to decorativeness shorthanded.

Spain wasted small clip exploiting nan advantage and appeared to person scored six minutes into other clip erstwhile Nico Williams banged successful nan rebound of a Martínez save, only to person Slovakian referee Slavko Vincic activity it off, ruling that Spain’s Mikel Merino had fouled Argentine defender Nicolás Otamendi successful nan build-up to nan goal.

Spain prima Lamine Yamal is congratulated by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, left, and President Trump pursuing Spain’s triumph complete Argentina successful nan World Cup last Sunday.

(Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)

The 80,663-strong crowd, matching nan 2nd largest crowd of nan tournament’s 104 games, booed President Trump erstwhile he appeared connected a video committee during nan nationalist anthem and again erstwhile he walked onto nan transportation for nan postgame awards ceremony.

During nan triumph ceremonial aft nan last of past summer’s Club World Cup, played astatine nan aforesaid stadium, Trump remained connected nan podium to observe pinch Chelsea’s players and was seen connected TV pocketing 1 of nan winners’ medals. So aft Trump joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino presenting nan World Cup trophy to Rodri — who was besides named nan outstanding subordinate of nan tourney — nan Spanish skipper motioned to Trump to move to nan near broadside of nan stage. As Spain lifted nan trophy, Infantino lured nan president disconnected nan podium and distant from nan celebration.

When Argentina, which entered nan crippled arsenic nan reigning World Cup champions, gave nan trophy backmost to Spain it apt marked a passing of nan torch. Argentina has played successful 3 of nan past 4 World Cup finals, but its starting lineup Sunday averaged conscionable complete 30 years of age, making it nan second-oldest to ever play successful a last down nan 11 Brazil utilized to triumph successful 1962. And it sewage a spot older erstwhile Otamendi, 38, came connected for 34-year-old Lisandro Martínez, who near pinch an evident wounded conscionable earlier nan extremity of nan first half.

Argentina prima Lionel Messi reacts aft losing to Spain successful nan World Cup final.

(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)

Spain, meanwhile, had nan sixth-youngest roster of nan 48 teams. Two of La Roja’s starters — teenagers Cubarsí and wunderkind Lamine Yamal — hadn’t moreover been calved erstwhile Messi made his World Cup debut successful 2006.

“The measurement this squad has matured, it built each day,” said Rodri, nan third-oldest starter connected nan squad contempt being conscionable 30. “We faced different opponents. Of course, tons of European opponents. But different moments and different types of games and we managed to play each of them.

“We grew successful this consciousness and this procreation is making history for our country.”

A history that De la Fuente said is conscionable beginning.

“This squad has a agelong measurement to go,” he said. “We are already reasoning to what is next, what is coming up.”

Sports Editor Iliana Limón Romero and unit writers Jad El Reda and Eduard Cauich contributed to this report.

Spain players observe aft defeating Argentina for nan World Cup title connected Sunday.