Breaking: Spain Beat 10-Man Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second FIFA World Cup Title
Spain were crowned FIFA World Cup champions on Sunday after defeating defending champions Argentina 1-0 following extra time in a tense final.
Substitute Ferran Torres emerged as the hero, scoring the decisive goal early in the second half of extra time. Torres reacted quickest to a rebound, firing home to hand the European champions their second World Cup crown.
Argentina’s hopes of retaining the title suffered a major setback in stoppage time of the second half when midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, leaving the South Americans to play the remainder of the contest with 10 men.
The defending champions struggled throughout the match, failing to register a single shot—on or off target—for 115 minutes as Spain dominated proceedings.
The victory also marked a historic milestone for Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who, at 65, became the oldest manager to win the FIFA World Cup.
Despite ending on the losing side, Argentina captain Lionel Messi achieved another career milestone.
At 39, he became only the second player in history to appear in three FIFA World Cup finals and the oldest outfield player ever to feature in a World Cup final.
