Argentina and Spain serve up worst World Cup final contender but justice prevails for La Roja | OneFootball

Spain are world champions for the second time but only after one of the most uninspiring, yawn-inducing finals in recent memory.

This was not the spectacle it was expected to be. After being part of a genuinely fascinating final last time out, an unadventurous Argentina put the ‘defending’ in ‘defending champions’, offering little threat amid a sense that they wouldn’t care if it led to them winning.

Ultimately, it’s Spain instead who won’t care at the manner of their victory, which it took until extra time for them to secure – just like in 2010 – despite the pressure they put on.

It could have been different. Argentina almost looked Spain-esque when enjoying a spell of possession in the opening few minutes, but the mask soon dropped.

The first genuine chance fell to Lamine Yamal, whose effort was saved by Emiliano Martinez. But Spain had found their out ball. Passes through to Yamal on the right wing were working, helping to put Spain swiftly back in control.

That control was underlined by the fact that Argentina failed to register a shot on target, or even a touch in the opposition box, before the half-time show that we’d all been eagerly waiting for (right?).

Granted, Spain were short on chances beyond Yamal’s early shot too. Mikel Oyarzabal and Marc Cucurella both had half chances towards the end of an opening 45 minutes that had struggled to really ignite.

There was the odd predictable flashpoint, with Alexis Mac Allister avoiding a yellow card for a nasty-looking foul on Dani Olmo and Lisandro Martinez drawing the game’s first booking for a cynical foul on Oyarzabal.

The second half was similar, with Argentina again failing to register a shot, having seemingly taken a leaf out of England’s book after their semi-final.

It was one of those games where you were waiting for Lionel Messi – or anyone – to pop up and do something out of nowhere, but it didn’t happen.

Spain built a bit of pressure around the hour mark with a series of corners, but Martinez wasn’t overly tested. There only being four minutes added at the end – three of those accounting for the hydration break – said it all.

As it happened, those four minutes were more like eight, with stoppage time punctuated by a red card for Enzo Fernandez, whose late foul on Pau Cubarsi earned him a second yellow following an earlier caution for dissent.

Yamal saw a free kick saved by Martinez just before the end, and then it was over to extra time.

The game had been severely short of quality. Was it all a ploy by FIFA to make the dreaded half-time show look better in comparison? Could they sense an opportunity for there to be another half time show at the interval in extra time?

Eventually, the 10 men of Argentina cracked. Spain had the ball in the net in the first half of extra time, but Nico Williams’ goal was ruled out.

At long last, the breakthrough came in the first minute of extra time’s second half. Ferran Torres fired in on the half volley after Williams’ nod down to put Spain on the verge of glory.

Torres then thought he’d scored a second, but the flag went up for offside. It was tighter than it looked.

Spain survived a late scare as extra time ticked over into five added minutes. Argentina’s two shots were too little, too late. Spain’s second World Cup was in the bag.

Some unsavoury scenes followed after the full time whistle, one last stain on this World Cup. Those reactions are best forgotten and this game, too, is best put in the rear view mirror and fast.