Key events
“I think I heard a match commentator say that the last team to beat Spain was Scotland. Does that mean Scotland have won the World Cup?!” asks Peter Oh.
That logic does not hold up, unfortunately. The unofficial “winner-stays-on” title changed hands several times during the tournament—Australia held it briefly before falling to the United States, who then lost to Turkey. So by that particular metric, Turkey currently hold the crown.
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Questions immediately swirled around Argentina’s talismanic captain. Was this the final chapter of his World Cup career? It seems increasingly likely.
Pablo Iglesias Maurer puts it succinctly: the world’s greatest player will not see his legacy tarnished by this defeat, but his team’s performance dismantled the contest.
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With methodical precision, Spain subdued “an Argentina team built on faith, devotional energy and a belief in the frankly irrational magic of your lone scurrying 39-year-old genius,” Barney Ronay writes.
Well, sometimes that magic forsakes you. The deus ex machina refuses to appear. And he is perhaps gone from this stage for good, a Prospero giving his final address to the crowd from a clanky metal bowl outside New York.
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De la Fuente on the victory
Speaking after the match, Spain’s manager—an openly religious figure—said simply: “It was written, and we deserve it.”
This team and this wonderful fanbase deserve everything. We had a date with destiny and we wanted to make it count.
The players have asked me what we have left to win. Together we’ve figured out that it’s the next match in September [against England in the Nations League] because this team is tireless.
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In their composure, Spain remained relentless, Sid Lowe observes.
Again and again they came, again and again they were halted, but they would not be denied. A dozen different players took aim at Emi Martínez’s goal; somehow he was still standing and time was slipping away, yet Spain refused to yield, so they came once more.
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The post-match altercation was a grim reflection of Argentina’s thwarted attempt to impose physicality on a supremely patient opponent. That patience ultimately prevailed, Jacob Steinberg writes, as Argentina grew increasingly frustrated by Spain’s refusal to take the bait.
The statistics underscore the narrative: Argentina’s expected goals (xG) stood at 0.00 until conceding forced a desperate late flurry. Even then, the metric climbed only to 0.22.
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As Spain began celebrating their second World Cup title, Leandro Paredes elected to extend his involvement beyond the final whistle, ensuring the conclusion was as sour as possible. The Argentina midfielder sparked a melee seconds after the whistle, charging at Eric García and shoving him in the neck before throwing Gavi to the ground—earning a straight red card for his actions.
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David Hytner
It was the triumph of an idea, an identity. Of an unshakable and patient faith. When it was over, Spain’s new generation having emulated the icons of 2010, there was only delirium.
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Preamble
Joe Khan
It is over. After 104 matches, Spain have been crowned world champions following a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina. In contrast to the goal-fest that accompanied England’s third-place win over France, the final was a more restrained affair—closing ceremony and half-time show notwithstanding. (That is a separate story altogether.)
Luis de la Fuente’s side probed and prodded until the reigning champions could resist no longer, Ferran Torres slamming home the decisive strike in the 106th minute. The Guardian had a substantial contingent at New York New Jersey Stadium to document every angle of the final, on and off the pitch.
Let us get into it—there is plenty to unpack.
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