The team spirit of the Spanish national team in the World Cup of the United States, Mexico, and Canada was rewarded with the second star for the country. And also with the string of individual World Cup awards won by Rodri, Pau Cubarsí, and Unai Simón.
Unable to shoot until the 116th minute. Unable to score. Unable to lead his team to the title. Unable to shine after a World Cup in which he had always walked the edge of the impossible. Don’t cry for him, Argentina, because he has given you everything. Don’t cry for him because he has been the flag of a team that has survived beyond the imaginable. Don’t cry because at 39 years old he leaves the United States World Cup with eight goals, four assists, and a third final in six appearances. Leo Messi, the greatest player of all time, gave in during extra time, as in 2014 at Maracanã against Germany. Not even his incredible longevity managed to beat an unbeatable champion. A Spain that shut down Mbappé and did the same to Messi.
Never in the history of the finals had a team failed to take a single shot on the opponent’s goal during regular time. Argentina, a stingy team that only attacked when it was dying down, ended up with two chances in 125 minutes, and they offered no more football than countering Spain with order, forcefulness, and too often dirty play, foul tactics, and trickery. Unworthy of the three-time champions who aspired to their fourth crown. Only goalkeeper Dibu Martínez was spared from a very poor collective performance.
For the second time in its history Spain
Ferran Torres, scorer of the second most important goal in the history of Spanish football after Andrés Iniesta’s in Johannesburg in 2010, could not contain his emotion after being crowned world champion: “The goal belonged to 47 million people, it was not mine. The script was written for us to win.”
Spain rules the world, a reality reflected in its football and confirmed by the World Cup. The second star is already flying back to the Peninsula to be embedded on the chest of an admirable team, which has a new hero. From Foios, Ferran Torres burst into extra time to disguise himself as Iniesta and open the doors to eternity with a left-footed shot. A goal that transferred the overwhelming superiority of the Spanish team to the scoreboard, wiping Argentina off the map without any hesitation and ending the Messi era in tears.
Later than Spain, Argentina announced its lineup. Lionel Scaloni waited to know Luis de la Fuente’s starting eleven before revealing his starters for the big final. And the current champion has prepared changes to defend the title. The coach makes three changes with the inclusion of Montiel at right back and De Paul and Nico González. None of them started the semifinal against England, but all three finished it.
Luis de la Fuente has decided to repeat the same eleven with which Spain defeated Belgium in the quarterfinals and France in the semifinals, to face Argentina in the World Cup final.
The World Cup final has prompted several major chains to change their hours for this Sunday to allow their employees to watch the match between Spain and Argentina. El Corte Inglés, Inditex stores, and Carrefour will be some of those that will close their open stores earlier on a day that could be historic.
Her disappearance made her legend greater. She was an aviator who never declined, unlike pilot Charles Lindbergh, consumed by his far-right drift, or actor James Dean, turned into a myth for dying young with only three films made. Amelia Earhart built her myth and made good use of her success in life.