WATCH: Super-sub Ferran Torres’ goal wins Spain second World Cup

Spain have seized the World Cup from the hands of defending champions Argentina after a late strike from Ferran Torres to seal a 1-0 victory in the New Jersey final.

Riding the momentum of their 2024 European Championship victory, Spain have etched their names into football history with a legacy win — taking home the trophy of all trophies for the second time, after their iconic 2010 World Cup triumph.

For Argentina and skipper Lionel Messi — despite showing pluck and courage until the whistle — it was a somewhat disappointing end to a World Cup campaign that until this match showed they were full of surprises.

The Argentines had been dreaming of a fourth World Cup and a back to back trophy after winning against France at Qatar in 2022— but it was not to be.

Spain appeared to dominate for much of the game with Argentina barely getting a look in, but it was only in extra time that Spain’s dozens of shots broke through.

In the 106th minute, well into extra time, Spain’s Ferran Torres managed to land a strike into the roof of the net, just as a penalty shoot out felt all but assured.

Torres was a late game sub, taking the field in the 62nd minute.

It was 27 degrees and sunny for 80,000-strong crowd at New York New Jersey stadium but it took close to full time for gameplay heated up on the pitch.

After 49 minutes of bitsy, defensive play the two sides were locked on 0-0 when they cleared the field for the half time show. The score would not budge until well after the 90 minute mark.

As the clock wound down chaos broke out around Spain’s net — Messi taking back to back corners, Argentina making breathless attempt after attempt that they were unable to manoeuvre past Spain’s formidable defensive line.

Spain dominated early, using their 67 per cent possession to show off their skills in the midfield and taunt Argentina, but the defending European champions only managed to convert three of those plays into attempts on goal going into the entertainment.

Around the five minute mark Lamine Yamal played a one-two in the box, collecting at the near post and getting a shot off that was saved by Emiliano Martinez.

Despite the early excitement, the first half wore on with few significant breaks. While Spain looked in control, neither side looked concerned.

After the first hydration break Lionel Messi began dropping deeper and deeper into the midfield to pick up the play, only for Spain’s defence to sweep him up every time.

Messi would have hoped for this final game to help him to at least nudge back into equal position with France’s Kylian Mbappé as a top World Cup goal scorer.

Going into the match the bowed-out Mbappé had 22 World Cup goals under his belt, compared to Messi’s 21. But another wasn’t to be, and with this largely rumoured to be his last time at the tournament, that is probably where his still mighty legacy will remain.

An apparent injury saw off Argentine centre-back Lisandro Martínez in the 43rd minute, to be replaced by Nicolás Otamendi.

The second half immediately marked a shift in play for both sides. When the teams returned from the not-quite-regulation 25 minute half time break they were both much livelier, but it wasn’t enough to shift the game’s play.

Some 43 seconds in, Spain’s Alejandro Baena took an early chance on target — that was comfortably saved — before Argentina decided they had had enough of that and started taking more possession.

Despite more zest the start-stop play that dominated the first half returned and Argentina remained defensive— the attacking side that came out of the gates swinging in the second half against England in the semi-final nowhere to be seen.

Spain continued to notch up attempts on goal, getting increasingly dangerous — but not dangerous enough — by attempt eight: A cross from Yamal offers Ferran Torres the chance to fling a header at speed into Martinez’s waiting hands.

It offered a rare glimmer of excitement but it was not enough to change the pace as both teams headed into the tournament’s last hydration break, increasingly tense and locked at nil-nil.

Off the back of the hydration break a frenzied feeling settled into play but not enough to change the score. Spain continued to make attempts on goal, but each one on target is saved without hesitation or fumble by Martínez

Messi’s influence was almost completely negated time and time again by the well-organised and controlling Spanish midfield. Spain’s mid-line acting like a curtain, until in the 92nd minute — halfway through stoppage time— when Argentina made its first serious attack, only one of two it would make across the entire match.

As the game moved into extra time Argentina’s side looked threadbare — down to just ten men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off on a second yellow card; Messi the only attacker after Fernandez was sent off for an out-of-control tackle and Julian Alvarez came off in extra time.

The first goal of the game came well past the ninety minute mark, when Williams punted a defended ball into the net, only for it to be ruled out off the back of a penalty Mikel Merino incurred by standing on Nicolás Otamendi’s foot.

Nine minutes later they nearly doubled their lead after Torres got a a one-on-one with Martinez, but the offside flag is up and it’s thrown out.

Spain finished with 20 attempts, 12 on target, compared to Argentina’s two off target attempts.

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