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Following a 16-year gap, Spain has secured their second men’s World Cup title. Ferran Torres netted the decisive goal in a well-earned 1-0 win against Argentina, making Spain both men’s and women’s world champions.

Patience turned out to be Spain’s most important quality. They had to wait for a kickoff that was postponed due to — among other factors — a speech by Tom Cruise. They endured a halftime break that lasted twice the usual time. And they had to wait for 106 minutes of action and their 20th shot before Ferran Torres scored the goal that secured their second men’s World Cup victory.

I’m deeply moved. When I look back and think about them, we’ve won absolutely everything with this group of players,” said Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente. “The game should have been settled much sooner… but this is a World Cup final, and you have to push hard even when facing ten players, and we’re ready for anything.

Spain’s captain and the standout player of the competition, Rodri, hoisted the trophy. However, not before Donald Trump made his appearance. TheThe U.S. president faced boos upon entering the field alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.and showed eagerness to remain for the trophy celebration,just as he did in the Club World Cup finallast year, Rodri seemed to gently try to move Trump away from the stage as Infantino walked over to join Trump at the edge of the festivities.

Messi on the margins

For much of Sunday’s final, that moment had seemed merely a matter of time, as theEuropean championscompletely surpassed their South American rivals.

Just like their remarkable semifinal performance against France, Spain took control of the ball from the start, with their young star, Lamine Yamal, nearly scoring in the fifth minute. A few seconds later, at the opposite end of the field and in terms of age, Lionel Messi was outpaced by Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon on a through pass. This was as close as Messi, 39, came to making a meaningful contribution to the match, which could be his final appearance in a World Cup.

They were superior, to be honest,” Messi said after the match. “We lost the game, and we accept that. That doesn’t mean we’ll forget all that we’ve accomplished so far, so I’d like to thank my team, my players, and the country.

As the first half progressed at the New York New Jersey stadium, Spain controlled possession but Argentina remained strong, with a clever save by Emi Martinez from Spanish forward Mikel Oyarzabal being the closest either team came before the extended break.

Halftime performance causes athletes to wait

For the first time in the history of the World Cup, a Superbowl-style halftime performance was planned. Artists such as Madonna, Justin Bieber, and BTS performed on the field, with the break being extended — against both football traditions and FIFA regulations — to nearly double the usual 15-minute duration.

It was not sufficient to alter the flow of the game. Spain kept passing, Argentina kept fighting, creating obstacles, and depended on Martinez to prevent Spanish shots from finding their target.

A red card shown to midfielder Enzo Fernandez in stoppage time increased the challenge for Argentina as the match headed into extra time, a situation that has occurred in five of the last six finals. Argentina became fatigued but managed to hold on, while Spain repeatedly failed to capitalize on their chances.

Spain keep composure

Certainly, the South Americans, who didn’t manage to take a single shot throughout the match, couldn’t possibly win this?

However, Spain has already demonstrated they don’t get flustered, scoring last-minute victories in two of their elimination matches. Indeed, the final had a similar feel to their opening game of the tournament — a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde. Following that, Spain faded somewhat from the spotlight, with some believing they lacked the necessary sharpness to be considered strong contenders.

However, as the competition advanced, Luis de la Fuente’s squad showcased a remarkable display of dominance, refining their offensive strategies to secure their first World Cup victory since 2010. Spain’s female team are also current world champions, having claimed the title in 2023.

I believe that ultimately, the goal was for 47 million people, not just me or the 26 players here,” said Torres, the scorer. “I feel that today, fate was decided; it was meant for us to win, even though we were far from our fans, but we did our best to make them feel as close as possible.

World Cup overshadowed by conflict in Iran, controversy involving Balogun

The conclusion marked a competition that has provided much in terms of sports: the outstanding performances of Cape Verde,the competition between Messi and Kylian Mbappe for the top scorer in the tournament — and overall World Cup — title and shocks such as Germany’s exit to Paraguay and Norway toppling Brazil.

However, politics has also shown itself to be impossible to overlook.

The exclusion of Somali referee Omar ArtanFrom entering the US, it added to the feeling that this was not a World Cup for everyone. Iran’s situation, being required to travel in and out of matches and receiving less preparation time as a result, highlighted the tension between the US and Iran.

Donald Trump’s involvement in the suspension of a red card penalty forUS striker Folarin Balogunalso increased the already loud questions aboutFIFA corruption.

However, in the end, the tournament was resolved in the same manner as it always has. And, on Sunday in New Jersey, it was once more decided in favor of Spain.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery

Author: Matt Pearson