Ferran Torres the hero as Spain see off 10-man Argentina to win World Cup

## FERRAN TORRES THE HERO AS SPAIN SEE OFF 10-MAN ARGENTINA TO WIN WORLD CUP

Spain has secured its second World Cup title, defeating Argentina 1-0 in a dramatic extra-time victory that also set a new European record for the longest international unbeaten streak, now at 38 matches.

While high-stakes finals often bring nerves, Spain showed no signs of them early on, immediately taking the game to Argentina. Young talent Lamine Yamal created a dangerous opening, cutting in from the right before his deflected shot forced goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into a crucial save with his legs.

Beyond that initial flurry, the first half hour remained largely uneventful, with the only notable spark coming from an aggressive challenge by Alexis Mac Allister on Dani Olmo—an incident that went unpunished, much to the frustration of the Spanish side.

Martinez was the busier of the two keepers before the break, though he dealt easily with a long-range effort from Mikel Oyarzabal. As halftime approached, a Marc Cucurella strike that drifted just wide capped off a cautious opening 45 minutes, which saw a record-low three total shots for a World Cup final.

A unique halftime show further delayed the restart, but once play resumed, the tension ramped up.

Martinez nearly had a disastrous moment in the 64th minute when he spilled a long-range shot from Olmo, only to scramble and deflect the ball just wide of the post.

He stayed active, however, making a sharp save moments later to deny a header from Ferran Torres as Spain began to turn the screw.

Pau Cubarsi then tested the Argentine keeper again, forcing a strong punch away from a powerful drive.

The match took a massive turn in stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez, already booked for dissent, received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Cubarsi, leaving Argentina to finish the game with ten men.

Martinez managed to keep Argentina alive by denying Yamal with almost the final kick of regulation, pushing the match into extra time. It was a daunting prospect for an Argentina side that had just set an unfortunate record as the first team in a World Cup final to go 90 minutes without a single shot on goal.

Five minutes into the additional period, it looked like Nico Williams had put the game away for Spain after reacting quickly to tap in from close range. However, his celebrations were cut short when the referee blew for a foul by Mikel Merino on Nicolas Otamendi during the build-up.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 106th minute. Ferran Torres showed great awareness in the box, pouncing on a knockdown from Williams and smashing an effort into the roof of the net.

That decisive goal handed Spain their sixth win in seven major tournament finals. For Argentina and Lionel Messi—likely making his final international appearance—it was a bitter end to their hopes of becoming the first side in 64 years to successfully defend the trophy.