Spain were crowned FIFA World Cup champions for the second time after Ferran Torres scored in extra time to seal a hard-fought 1-0 victory over 10-man Argentina in the final on Sunday.
The match remained goalless after 90 minutes despite Spain dominating possession and creating the better chances. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez delivered an outstanding performance, making a series of crucial saves to keep the defending champions in the contest.
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Spain came close to taking the lead as early as the fifth minute when Lamine Yamal forced Martinez into a save. The Aston Villa goalkeeper continued his heroics throughout the match, denying Aymeric Laporte, Ferran Torres and Nico Williams with several fine stops.
Argentina suffered injury setbacks before the break, with Lisandro Martinez forced off in the 44th minute after picking up a knock. Nicolas Otamendi replaced him as Lionel Scaloni reshuffled his defence.
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Spain coach Luis de la Fuente responded in the second half by introducing Pedri and Ferran Torres, while Nico Williams and Mikel Merino also came off the bench to increase the pressure.
The turning point came deep into stoppage time when Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card for a reckless challenge, reducing his side to 10 men before extra time.
Even with a numerical disadvantage, Martinez continued to frustrate Spain. He produced another brilliant save to deny Nico Williams’ close-range header before keeping out a dangerous free-kick from Yamal at the end of normal time.
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Spain thought they had finally broken the deadlock early in extra time, but Mikel Merino’s effort was ruled out for a foul following a video review.
The breakthrough eventually arrived in the 106th minute. Nico Williams rose to meet a cross and headed the ball into the path of Ferran Torres, who calmly fired past Martinez to score the only goal of the final.
READ ALSO: Why we love Messi but can’t stand Argentina
Argentina pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Spain’s defence held firm to secure a famous victory.
Torres became only the second Spanish player to score in a men’s World Cup final after Andres Iniesta’s famous extra-time winner against the Netherlands in 2010.
The defeat also saw Argentina become the first team to have three players sent off in the men’s World Cup final, following Pedro Monzon and Gustavo Dezotti in the 1990 final, with Fernandez joining the unwanted list.
Spain’s victory ended Argentina’s reign as world champions and completed another memorable chapter in La Roja’s football history.
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