Spain won the World Cup, but this final is already being called the strangest in decades

The World Cup final was supposed to be the main highlight of the tournament, but instead of a football performance, the audience received an intense tactical duel in which risk was rare. Spain regained the world title with a 1-0 victory over Argentina after extra time. The decisive goal was scored by substitute Ferran Torres, but after the final whistle they discussed not only the champions, but also one of the most unusual decisive matches in the modern history of world football.

The finale, which did not go according to the expected scenario at all

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG7__ A few hours before the starting whistle, the atmosphere in the stadium was more reminiscent of the opening of a major music festival, writes xrust. The fans were greeted by a large-scale light show, performances by world stage stars, fireworks and an opening ceremony, due to which the start of the match even had to be slightly delayed. The organizers did everything to emphasize the status of the event.

It seemed that the football players were ready to give the audience an equally brilliant performance. Moreover, in the final the current world champion Argentina and the Spanish national team met, which in recent years has turned into one of the most stable teams on the planet.

However, the first minutes showed that you shouldn’t expect beautiful open football.

The Spaniards habitually took control of the ball, trying to stretch the opponent's defense through short passes. Argentina chose the most cautious model. The team practically abandoned high pressing, focusing on destroying attacks, fighting for every meter of the field and constantly reducing free space.

The pace of the game quickly slowed down. Instead of dangerous moments, spectators increasingly saw positional struggles, stoppages due to fouls and long plays of the ball in the center of the field.

For a neutral fan, what was happening looked unusual. After a month of spectacular World Cup matches, the final turned out to be the most closed in nature.

Argentina set an anti-record for the World Championship finals

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG7__ The main statistical event of the meeting was unexpectedly not the victory of Spain.

The Argentina national team went down in history with a minus sign. During the main time, the team failed to deliver a single full-fledged shot at the opponent's goal — neither on target nor off target. This has never happened before for World Cup finals.

This figure well reflected the tactics chosen by the Argentines. Lionel Scaloni's team practically did not look for opportunities for quick attacks. Much more often, players disrupted the development of Spanish combinations, entered into single combats, delayed the pace of the game and tried to prevent the opponent from creating free zones.

In the second half, the emotional tension began to increase noticeably. More and more game episodes were accompanied by tough competition, and the end of the meeting finally showed how high the stakes were. Already in extra time, Enzo Fernandez received a red card after a gross foul against Pau Kubarsi, leaving Argentina in the minority.

By that time, it was obvious: the team, which had managed to go through the most difficult path to the final, had practically ceased to threaten the Spanish goal. The contrast was particularly striking with the semi-final against England, where the Argentines demonstrated a completely different level of intensity and attacking play.

Spain controlled the match, but for a long time could not turn the advantage into a goal

If the ball possession statistics fully reflected what was happening, then the score on the scoreboard remained Argentina's main ally for a long time.

The Spaniards methodically looked for free zones, combined a lot and gradually increased the pressure. During the match, the team made two dozen shots, but most of them were either blocked by defenders or did not pose a serious danger.

Once again the peculiarity of the current Spanish national team was revealed. The team has excellent control of the ball, but the absence of a classic central striker often turns long attacks into endless passes without a finishing blow.

Lamin Yamal, whom many called one of the main hopes of the final, was reliably covered by defenders. Lionel Messi also failed to lead his partners. For the Argentine captain, this was the third final in his career, but this time he failed to find space for the usual decisions.

It was then that the Spanish coaching staff decided to change the course of the meeting with substitutions…

Substitutions changed the course of the final

While the main stars of both teams could not turn the tide, the players who started the match on the bench had the decisive say.

Luis de la Fuente released Ferran Torres and Nico Williams, making the game noticeably faster. Spain began to look for the ideal combination less often and delivered the ball directly into the penalty area more often. This is exactly what she needed for almost a hundred minutes.

Argentina was already noticeably tired by that time. The team continued to defend selflessly, but there was more and more free space.

The denouement came in the 106th minute.

After another attack, the Spaniards managed to quickly deliver the ball to Torres. The striker did not look for an additional pass and immediately fired into the far corner. After two hours of careful football, it was this episode that turned out to be decisive.

It is interesting that for Spain this goal was only the logical conclusion of a huge advantage in the game. Up to this point, the team had already managed to deliver two dozen shots on goal, but each time either the execution failed or the Argentine defense acted confidently.

After the final whistle, emotions finally spilled out. A small scuffle broke out on the field, the players had to calm each other down, and the Argentines' disappointment was understandable — the reigning world champions lost the title in a match where they hardly attacked.

Torres himself later admitted that he considers this ball a merit of the whole country.

“47 million people scored this goal. It belongs not to me, but to all of Spain,” said the scorer of the winning goal.

When the show turned out to be brighter than football

Another feature of the final was the grandiose show around the match.

The organizers turned the decisive meeting into a large-scale entertainment event. Before the starting whistle, spectators were treated to concerts, light installations, fireworks and numerous celebrity appearances. Among the guests of the ceremony were world music stars, and US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino watched the event in the VIP box.

During the break, the audience was again treated to a large concert program. Due to the performances of the artists and the preparation of the stage, the traditional 15-minute rest for the teams extended to almost half an hour.

However, the contrast between the celebration in the stands and what was happening on the field turned out to be too noticeable. While the stadium was alive with music, special effects and applause, the players continued to play as carefully as possible.

Many fans later noted that it was the opening and halftime ceremonies that became the most emotional episodes of the entire evening.

A victory that opens a new era

For Luis de la Fuente, this success became the pinnacle of his coaching career.

The specialist has already led Spain to victory at the 2024 European Championship, and now he has added the main trophy of world football to his collection. Moreover, the Spanish national team's unbeaten streak reached 38 matches — a result that no national team in Europe or South America had previously achieved.

After the final, the mentor did not hide his emotions.

According to him, the current generation of players grew up in a single football philosophy and managed to turn it into a system that brings results regardless of the opponent.

For Lionel Scaloni, the evening turned out to be completely different.

The Argentine coach admitted that defeat is always difficult, especially in the World Cup final. At the same time, he specially thanked Lionel Messi, emphasizing that the captain remains the greatest football player of his generation and an example for the entire team.

What did this final show to world football?

Spain has once again proven that modern football can be won not only through bright individuals, but also through a clearly structured system, discipline and patience. The team did not abandon its philosophy even when the goal did not come for a long time, and in the end it was consistency that brought the championship title.

Argentina, on the contrary, showed how risky betting solely on destruction can be. Reliable defense made it possible to maintain intrigue for almost two hours, but the lack of a full-fledged attacking game ultimately cost the team the opportunity to defend the title.

Perhaps this is what the 2026 World Cup will be remembered for. Its final turned out to be completely different from the classic football performances of yesteryear. Instead of an abundance of goals, spectators saw a tense chess game in which the fate of the World Cup was decided by one precise blow.

Spain has once again risen to the top of world football, and the final itself will likely cause controversy for a long time. Some will call it a model of tactical discipline, others — one of the most closed and cautious decisive matches of recent decades. But it is no longer possible to argue with the main result: the new world champion is the Spanish national team.

News on https://www.reuters.com

Xrust Spain won the World Cup, but this final is already being called the strangest in recent decades

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