After a grueling overtime game, Spain won their second World Cup championship title against Argentina at New Jersey, United States of America (U.S.A.).
Spanish player Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the 106th minute of the game, with an assist from winger Nico Williams, a dramatic end to an otherwise dull match.
“The goal belonged to 47 million people. It wasn’t just mine or the 26 players. Destiny was written and it was meant for us to win far away from our people,” Torres told ESPN.
The match was a one-way traffic with Spain recording 20 relentless goal attempts and 878 passes, compared to Argentina, who only had two goal attempts and around half as many passes, according to FIFA.
The second half of the match was interrupted by a red card given to Enzo Fernández, a 25-year-old midfielder for Argentina, after a major foul sent Spanish player, Pau Cubarsí, flying through the air. The red card left Argentina a 10-player team for the remaining 30 minutes.
This win will be Spain’s second World Cup win since 2010, where they beat the Netherlands 1-0 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi, 39, was certainly a hot topic, as the game came to an end. Many were left underwhelmed by his final performance, especially since this will likely be Messi’s last World Cup.
The match, hosted at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey, U.S.A., was opened by an unexpected performance from IShowSpeed, a popular American streamer who has made his mark traveling throughout Africa and the rest of the world. He performed his latest single, “World Cup (Champions),” which was released in early June.
IShowSpeed was joined by colorful dancers, and he appeared to have been wearing a Ghana bracelet embroidered with his name.
The vibrant festivities set the stage for the Final Halftime Show, where a variety of artists participated; Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, Shakira and the Muppets were among those seen celebrating the common theme of love.
The Halftime Show raised money for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, providing football opportunities to children worldwide.
By Liz Mitchell
