Spain's Long Grind Pays Off: Torres Sinks Argentina in World Cup Final

Torres. The man actually did it. His extra-time goal, a late dagger from Nico Williams' feed, sealed Spain's second world crown. Felt a lot like 2010, didn't it? Another 90 minutes of nothing, then a goal in the second half of extra time. History repeating, just uglier.

Spain owned the ball. Plain and simple. La Roja tallied 20 shots. Argentina? A pathetic two. That's not a 'gulf in control', that's a chasm. The South Americans were utterly toothless, offering nothing until the final whistle of regulation. Emi Martinez was the only reason it stayed level, pulling off save after save.

Enzo Fernández, the Chelsea man, didn't help Argentina's cause. A second yellow card, straight red in normal time. Just piled on the misery. They tried to hold on, soaked up all that Spanish pressure. Didn't matter. Torres got his chance, and that was it. Game over.

This World Cup now sits right next to Spain's Euro 2024 trophy. Manager Luis de la Fuente? Still hasn't lost a competitive match. Unbeaten. Meanwhile, for Argentina and Lionel Messi, it's a bitter, empty end. Probably his last World Cup. No second title. And to rub salt in the wound, Kylian Mbappé snatched the Golden Boot from him by two goals. Ouch.