Spain absolutely shut down Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday, taking home a 1-0 victory in extra time thanks to Ferran Torres’s lone goal in the 106th minute. That’s right, Torres was laying on the pitch at MetLife Stadium after breaking the deadlock, and honestly, he earned every second of that relief. Spain finally put an end to what felt like Argentina’s improbable, villainous run.
Argentina’s Dicey Path to the Final
Remember when the world cheered Lionel Messi not even four years ago? Well, Argentina clearly took a page out of a bad guy’s playbook, sticking around long enough to become the villains themselves. This whole run to the final felt unbelievable, especially with their “golden generation” running on fumes. Messi, even at a still-brilliant 39, was well past his prime, and the squad just didn’t have the depth of contenders like Spain. Get this: goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez played the *entire tournament* with a broken hand! Medical pros told him to get surgery, but he just flat-out refused. They could’ve been the plucky underdogs, and they almost were, but fortune just kept finding them. Nine of their eleven knockout stage goals dropped after the 75th minute, snatching wins from teams like Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, and England. Even the refs seemed to be on their side, with Spain having a goal disallowed right after extra time kicked off. But on Sunday? None of that magic worked. Argentina didn’t even take a shot until the 117th minute. Messi usually pulls a rabbit out of a hat even when he’s invisible, but not this time.
Spain’s Unyielding Dominance
Seriously, you gotta give credit to Luis de la Fuente’s Spain squad. They never once ditched their Plan A, and they were the better team all afternoon, plain and simple. The first half was a bit quiet, just three shots, but then they exploded in the second, unleashing twelve shots and just owning possession, passing circles around Argentina with the World Cup trophy on the line. Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, was absolutely on fire. Opponents barely put any pressure on him, letting him run free in the midfield. And talk about a comeback story: this guy, at 30, recovered from an ACL injury that was taking its sweet time, but he got back just in time for the World Cup. Spain just knew how to make their opponents look completely useless.
Messi’s Quiet Swan Song
For Lionel Messi, this was almost certainly his last dance on the World Cup stage, and it was a tough watch. He touched the ball just 54 times over 120 minutes, a massive drop from his usual 77.52 per-game average leading up to the final. No fairytale ending this time for the star. Spain rendered him practically invisible when it mattered most. This final wasn’t just a loss for Argentina, it felt like the definitive end of an era, a bittersweet closing chapter for one of the greatest to ever play the game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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