New Jersey: Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time as Spain defeated 10-man Argentina 1-0 on Sunday to lift their second FIFA World Cup trophy.
Introduced from the bench, Torres pounced on a rebound early in the second period of extra time to finally break Argentina’s resistance after Spain had dominated possession throughout the final.
Argentina’s hopes suffered a major blow when Enzo Fernandez was sent off in second-half stoppage time after receiving his second yellow card. The defending champions struggled to threaten in attack, failing to register a single shot on or off target for the opening 115 minutes.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, 65, became the oldest manager to win the World Cup, while Argentina captain Lionel Messi, 39, became only the second player to feature in three World Cup finals and the oldest outfield player to appear in the tournament’s showpiece match.
The triumph capped a remarkable era for Spain, adding the World Cup title to their European Championship crown and securing the nation’s second world title.
