Argentina vs. Spain FULL World Cup Final REACTION: SPAIN ARE CHAMPIONS! | ESPN FC
Tune into ESPN FC immediately following the 2026 World Cup Final, featuring Argentina vs. Spain, Lionel Messi vs. Lamine Yamal and more. Spain win the World Cup for their country's SECOND-EVER time, led by Ferran Torres' goal in extra time to secure the 1-0 win for La Roja. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN
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Heat. [music] [music] [music] Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] [music] >> [music] [music] [music] >> Welcome to ESPNFC Live presented by mobile. For the second time, Spain have won the FIFA World Cup. victorious for the second time in extra time. This time against Argentina thanks to Ferane Torres with the only goal of let's be honest a turgid game when only one team wanted to play football and Stevie Nickel. Justice was done. >> Yeah, absolutely. Um it's a win for the good guys in it. Um all the all the skilled duggery and all the the dark cats and all the falling over. Yeah, that would have been that would have been bad for football had Argentina won because I'm sure after an hour of this game, anybody other than if you're Argentinian wanted the good guys to win. And I'm talking about Spain. They were the team who were trying to play football. They were the team who were trying to win this game. Argentina, no stage were trying to win this game until they got behind. Um and after that they you could say they were a little unfortunate in the what 120th minute they had to just Simeone had a good opportunity that he put over the crossbar but in all honesty they didn't deserve it. They got exactly what they deserved Argentina and Spain got what they deserved also and that was winning the World Cup. >> I'd love to say I was surprised but you told us what was going to happen. You told us after on Wednesday when you said that the same thing will happen when Argentina beat England. The same thing will happen in the first half, not only in the first half, but in the second half, the first half of extra time as well. When you know something is going to be similar to that, is there anything that you can do apart from just keep knocking at the door and try and be patient? >> Yeah, 100%. And and that's exactly what Spain did. They kept banging on the door and Feren Torres who all tournament long has come off the bench and has made a difference. You know, he's made a difference in terms of his running in behind, in terms of his closing down and he scored goals as well. And boy, I'm not quite sure you can score a bigger goal than the winning goal in a World Cup final. And so, Feren Torres will be remembered forever. Certainly in Spain, that's for sure. >> Just after Feran Torres scored, and we'll get to everything that that happened, including a halftime break of 27 minutes and 23 seconds from Whistle to end the first half from Whistle to start the second half. However, in the 108th minute, just after Ferane Torres had scored that goal, there was a graphic that came up. Spain 20 shots, [snorts] 12 on target. Argentina zero. Now, DBU Martinez was brilliant in this game. And in all fairness to to Argentina, the way that this one went, they had issues because Laro Martinez got hurt, Christian Romero got hurt, Montiel had been taken off. So, they brought on Otto Mendi, they brought on Molina, they brought on Medina. But just how good was that man in goal today, Du Martinez? Well, I think it was a combination of um you know, it was mainly it was mainly strikes at goals. There was two headers, one from Fer Torres which pretty much went straight at Martinez, but I think Moreno really could have sealed this with that with the the opportunity he had. Um he just mistimed it. uh he went for a glancing header, didn't quite time it right and it just went past the post. But other than that, all the shots I think you can safely say that the Emmy Martinez, his positioning, his starting position in goal is why he made all those saves. You know, I don't think I don't think there was a save that you can say was totally outstanding. Probably the closest was was the header from Nico Williams, but the rest of them was down to just a world-class goalkeeper whose starting position was so good that it made the saves well, it made them savable and and so yeah, there's no question this game wouldn't gone into extra time if it wasn't for Emmy Martinez and the Argentine goal. >> Did Argentina show Spain too much respect today? >> No, not at all. No, they absolutely no. You know, I would love to say that was the case, but they didn't. They didn't respect the Spain. Any chance they got, they were bashing people. They were hitting people. I mean, that that's not respect. When you respect an opponent, you you don't treat them the way they did. They treated them poorly. There was no there was no sportsmanship involved in this whatsoever. This was we don't care. We're going to do exactly what we need to do. skull duggery if needed, whatever you want to call it, that's what we're doing and we don't care about spin. So yeah, they they they didn't respect them. We we saw what a Argentina laid bear exactly what they are when they played against England. There's no question. They they absolutely are what they are. It's all about getting Messi on the ball and then if we can create around him, then we can go forward. That's what's got them as far as they have in this tournament. So, there's no question in my mind. They didn't show Spain too much respect. They're not good enough to go toe to toe with Spain. Uh and and and that's why they set out to play the way they did. So, no, I ain't going down the respect route. I don't think anything Argentina did today had respect for the game of football written on it. That last sentence that you have just said sums everything up. Argentina will look back at this and and see the fact that the only two shots they eventually had came after they'd gone a goal down. But when you just said that if Spain and Argentina go toe-to-toe, there's only one winner. >> Yeah. >> But with the game plan that they had, could they have been slightly more adventurous? Because for me it reminded me a little bit of England's tactics, although they did it better after England went a goal up and then just everybody sat back. Well, I think again I'm going to put this on the positioning of the Spanish players. you know the in order when you defend so much in order to get out and to counterattack yes you you have a long way to go but the opposition have to let you do that and Spain didn't let them do that Spain positionally behind the ball and I'm talking more about Rodri Rodri absolutely was in the middle of everything whether it was pushing his players forward or whether it was putting his players in good defensive position around them so that Argentina couldn't get out whenever the ball was coughed up. There's no question Argentina wanted to get out. But because of Spain's defensive positioning, and I'm talking about the three in midfield, I'm talking about the center backs pushing forward. I'm talking about the fullbacks making sure that if a ball did get dropped out or turned over, they were in a position to affect the opposition. Uh, and so yeah, I would suggest that again, this wasn't Argentina that caused them not to get out. This was down to Spain in my opinion because from a defensive posture, they were fantastic. They were always in a position where the ball came out or was coughed up that they got on it or made a challenge and just completely nullified Argentina whatsoever. We mentioned the word patience and that's ultimately what helped Spain win this World Cup and deservedly so. There was no doubt about it. No Argentinian can come out and say, "Oh, we we should have won that game." There's only been one player in this World Cup, the Belgian striker, Charles Detilari, who has scored against Spain. Their whole ethos has been built on solidity and then talent in the final third. What was the one thing if there is one or two or three if you want to mention more that impressed you most about Spain in this World Cup on their way to victory? Um I think I think they are the one team that basically in every single game they played they were the dominant side. I I think if you go through all the other sides, they they came up against teams who they couldn't control in large chunks of the game all the way through this World Cup. >> Mhm. >> Spain in my mind are the only team that from start to finish and every game it was about them. You know, Spain didn't go and play anybody and think about the opposition. It was all about what what we do. And if what we do, if we do it to a high level, then it doesn't matter who the opposition are because we're going to dominate the ball. Now, you can question whether they've scored as many goals as they should considering the the possession and the territorial advantage they've had in all the games. But at the end of the day, if you're not quite at your best going forward and you control the ball and you don't give anything away, then it's just going to be non impossible for the opposition. And the fact that you're bringing up they've only lost one goal tells you exactly what I've just been talking about. So yeah, that's that's what's impressed me more about this side. They've deserved to win every game they've played. They've dominated every game they've played and [snorts] there's no question end of the day they're the best team in this World Cup. >> Talk to me about the referee, Stevie, if you wouldn't mind. Slavo Vincent, he did his best to keep control. We saw uh all the yellow cards handed out to Argentina players. Christian Romero, Leonel Scaloney, the coach for an argument, Landro Martinez, Paredes, Enzo Fernandez in the 82nd minute for arguing. Now, that's crucial because he got a second yellow card in the fourth minute of added time for a silly challenge on Kubarc. Now, you can argue that Kubarci might have made the most of it or whatever, but it doesn't matter because if you're already on a yellow, you can't go in at that pace. Was it a correct red card as far as both yellow cards were correct in your mind? >> Yes, 100%. I thought the referee had a great game, I'll be honest. Um, and and the fact that you've actually brought him up, I'm glad you did because I wouldn't have brought him up because he wasn't a factor in this game. >> You know, the game the game turned out the way it did because of what happened on the field of play between the two teams. Nothing to do with refereeing decisions. I thought he got every single one spot on. He got the the first yellow Enzo got was for remmonstrating. You can't do what Enzo did. You can't remmonstrate. You can't throw your arms and point at the referee. So, you get a yellow card. And as you rightly said, you're on a yellow card. You're in a World Cup final. Why are you making a stupid challenge? I mean, it it it's Yeah, it's it's beyond belief. And the [snorts] fact that he's arguing about it tells you that mentally he wasn't in control. Because had he been mentally in control, Enzo, he wouldn't have made that challenge. He would have backed off. There was no need for it. You You're nearly on the halfway line. I mean, so he can have absolutely no no question that the referee was against him. The two cards that he got were the right decisions. And unfortunately, at the end of the day, it was down to Enzo. That's Enzo's the reason why Enzo sat on the bench watching his teammates in extra time. you played in enough games in your career and I I don't know most of them when there's been a red card it might have changed the game but it didn't really in this instance did it because Argentina didn't change their game plan after the red card they just defended with the players they had left >> yeah and I found it I found it really strange you know for all the composure and all the possession and the dominance that Spain had both with both against 11 and against 10. Probably the worst passages and the worst sort of time with an let me start again. I'm getting probably when they scored the goal between scoring the goal and the end of the game was about the only time in this World Cup that Spain showed a lack of composure on the ball which I thought was amazing. The fact that Simeon had that chance, the fact that just before that, you know, Messi put a ball across the box and it took an incredible sliding challenge to put the ball out for a corner, that composure that we talk about that Spain are so good at with the ball that disappeared. They panicked a little and it almost cost them with those two those two plays that I've just spoken about, the cross from Messi and the shot from Simeone. that almost cost them dearly. >> But I want to go back to the word composure. We spoke about this after Argentina played England. And when you've got that intensity coming against you and you've got what it was the 106th minute that Ferane Torres scored, you know, you're going to be under the c and I can understand that. Ultimately, they'll look at the clean sheet Spain and they'll say, "Look, job done. It wasn't their fault that Seion blasted over from 10 yards when he probably should have got it on target." That was a great tackle as well, but Argentina have defended well in a lot of this game, but Spain defended well at the end, too. You've got to give them credit. >> Yeah, they got it done. >> Yeah. >> Um at the end of the day, that's what it's about. You know, if if you're going to finish the game, um a little nervous, let's put it that way. Um at the end of the day, you still you still have to make the challenges when they come along. you still have to win the headers to clear the ball. Uh, and they got all of them pretty much right, including, as you said, you know, Nico Williams coming out to to put Simeone under pressure with that one opportunity they had. So, yes, at the end of the day, the proof's in the pudding. They did defend well because they kept a clean sheet. But if you want to be if you want to nitpick, then I guess I guess you can look at that and say, "Yeah, we we were expecting a little bit more composure." But end of the day, they got it done. And that's what it's all about. >> It's funny how the way football works. There's only one team that faced Spain in this competition that didn't concede. That's Cape Verde. And look, that that's why we love football. Football is we didn't love it today for long spells. Um but but on the whole Cape Verde the only team that didn't concede against Spain. Let's have a look at the Spanish goal today because it's expertly finished by Ferane Torres. It's a it's a brilliant finish. >> Pedro Porro's put a deep ball in and Nico Williams look if he could stay fit and get games at Athletic Club then it might be different for him and he might be more of a regular starter. But the deep ball from Pedro Porl, the excellent header back from Nico, and a brilliant finish from Torres. But you're talking about a right back here, Stevie, that wasn't first choice at the beginning of this World Cup. Marcos Urente was. Talk to me about the impact that Pedro Porro has had on Lamin, on this goal, and on Spain in general. Well, I think we we had a conversation actually the last time we we spoke about Spain about Pedro Porro and we we talked about how both going forward he's been a great ally and he's been a what's the word I'm looking for? Decoy is what I'm looking for. He on more than one occasion has been a great decoy runner for Yin Yamal. Uh and then and today he actually made a great decision. You know, a lot of times he would run around the outside of Yamal. Sometimes he would run through the inside of Yamal, but today in that particular moment he decided just to hold his ground and then of course Yamal playing him the ball back. He put that whipped first time ball into the far post. So, not only has he been a great decoy, but when he's been in possession, he's made good decisions. And that was a great decision to play that ball to the far post. As you rightly said, Nico Williams with a nice header back. And the finish from Torres is is measured. It's not blasted. He's not panicked. He's We're talking about composure and defense. Well, this is composure in the attacking penalty box because it would have been so easy to to see him shutting his eyes, going for power, thinking about being a hero, thinking about the moment in the opposition penalty box and injury time. Many players would have panicked and just blasted that thing possibly and probably over the bar, but he didn't do that. He opened his left foot up. He measured it. It was with the instep, but it still had plenty of power and it was an absolutely fantastic finish and a finish a finish that deserves to win a World Cup. It was measured is what it was and full of composure. But yes, as you said, it doesn't happen without Pedro Porro whipping that ball to the far post. >> It's two chances from similar ranges at either end. One is scored by Ferane Torres. The other one, although maybe slightly harder, is missed by Juliano Simeone. That Ferane Torres goal, >> has he made that look easier than that chance actually is given everything you've just said? >> Well, I think I think what he's shown everybody is the importance of composure. That that is really what it's about because there was nobody near him. He had plenty of time. And and those two things that I've just talked about when you don't have composure can be your enemy because you have too long to think about it and when you have too long to think about it and you don't have a clear head then things can go badly wrong. And again that's what makes the finish so good from Feren Torres. He had so much time to think about it. He had nobody closing him down again. That gives him even more time to figure it out. But he showed his real quality uh and his real composure the way he dealt with it and [clears throat] opening his body up getting a great contact. Still had plenty of power, but it was controlled. So yeah, did he make it look easy? At the end of the day, I guess he did. Yeah. >> Well, the irony is the closest player to him was Juliano Simeone. Um, and and granted it was it was tough to get close enough to him to stop him from getting the shot off, but as a defender in your prime, Stevie, a deep ball that's headed back, how difficult is that for a defense to try and cope with when you're not expecting it because you're expecting it to come straight in rather than to go wide and then come back. >> Well, again, it's decision- making. you know, you you you're looking at the flight of the ball, you know, as as somebody strikes the ball as a defender, certainly certainly from a distance, you're you're looking how how high in the air is it? How long is it going to take to get from A to B? What's the flight of the ball going to be? Do I have time to to get in a different position? Where's the ball going to land? You know, you're scanning. you're scanning to see, okay, maybe I'm not the one that's going to be on the end of the header or or making the challenge, but am I looking at Nico Williams as a defender on the opposition and thinking, okay, where this thing's coming down, what what's what's he going to do with it? And if I'm thinking the only thing he can do is head it back back back towards the penalty spot, then I have to try and get there and read it and get there earlier and get there before the opposition. Now again, depending on my starting position, if I'm not able to actually get there, then how do I affect the play? Can I get close enough to put Ferin Torres off? and if I can get close enough to put him put him off and make him stick it over the bar or mis hit it or hit it into the ground or not be able to pick his spot. So these are all the things going through your head defensively. But the key is in order to make a difference, you have to have a a a starting position that means that you can actually get there to make the challenge or get there to to affect what the opposition does. And unfortunately for him, he could do neither of those things. Today's legendary performance presented by mobile. It's the game changer. It's the player of the game or it's that one person that just deserves it because of one magic moment. Have yo