Ferran Torres Leads Spain to World Cup Glory with Extra-Time Winner
Spain hero Ferran Torres believes “destiny was written” for he and his side after scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final.
Torres powered home in extra time to give Spain a deserved victory after dominating the contest against Argentina, securing the nation’s second World Cup crown.
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Luis de la Fuente’s side, the reigning European champions, showcased themselves as the most complete team throughout the tournament, with their manager acknowledging that they likely should have won the final much earlier.
Ferran Torres scored the winner in the final (Reuters)
It took until the 106th minute for Spain to finally take the lead, as Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez delivered a series of impressive saves.
However, he was unable to stop Torres’ powerful shot from close range, as the Barcelona forward converted Nico Williams’ header to secure a 1-0 win.
“I think in the end the goal came from 47m people [approximately the population of Spain], not just those of us that are here,” Torres remarked.
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“Today destiny was written, it was made for us to win. We’re far from our people today but we tried to be as close as possible to them.
“Finals are hard. When you have [Lionel] Messi on the opposing team, you do get worried, but we always backed ourselves and tried to show our football, and I think we managed to do it once again.”
Argentina faced a setback just before extra time began when Enzo Fernandez received his second yellow card for a foul on Pau Cubarsi.
Luis de la Fuente felt his side should have won the final sooner (Getty)
The South Americans defended resolutely afterward, but struggled to create consistent chances against a formidable Spanish defense that had shown strength throughout the tournament.
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“The match should have been decided much earlier,” De la Fuente admitted. “But this is a World Cup final, and you have to dig deep, even against ten men. We’re prepared for anything.
“We had a game plan where the primary goal was to keep Messi at bay, as well as other players away from our goal. The attitude of our players was crucial. We were convinced it was our final and wanted to go all out for this victory. If it hadn’t been for their keeper, we might have had a larger win.”
Spain also holds the Women’s World Cup title, making De la Fuente’s side success part of a golden era for the nation’s footballers.