Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to give Spain a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina and the men’s World Cup title on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., AP reported. The goal denied Lionel Messi a second straight World Cup in what Messi had indicated would be his final World Cup match, AP said.
Torres, who came off the bench, pounced on a bouncing ball in the box and buried a left-footed shot under the crossbar. “It was a goal scored by 47 million people,” Torres said, referring to Spain’s population.
Spain dominated the match, taking the game’s first 20 shots on goal and nine of the first 10 corner kicks, AP reported. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a World Cup final-record 12 saves, and Spain allowed only one goal in eight matches — a World Cup record for fewest goals allowed by a champion, AP said.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, 65, became the oldest coach to lead a team to a World Cup title, AP reported. Spain is now unbeaten in 38 matches (29 wins, nine draws), the longest streak by any European team. Argentina finished the match with 10 men after Enzo Fernández was sent off in second-half stoppage time for a second yellow card, AP said.
The final was the 104th and last match of a 48-team World Cup staged across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, AP reported. About 80,000 attended the match and an estimated 2 billion watched worldwide. Celebrities in attendance included actors, athletes and former soccer stars, AP said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
