East Rutherford | Spain substitute Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to give his team a 1-0 win over defending champion Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Spain was absolutely dominant in terms of possession and shot attempts. Lionel Messi and Argentina found a way to hang on and force extra time — but barely.
And in the opening moment of the second 15-minute period of extra time, Torres pounced on a bouncing ball in the box and used his left foot to bury a shot just under the crossbar and into the back of the net.
Enzo Fernandez was sent off in second-half stoppage time after getting his second yellow card, meaning Argentina was forced to finish the match with only 10 players. Fernandez was carded for a reckless play that sent Spain defender Pau Cubarsi cartwheeling into the air, and the card came out immediately.
Another foul about two minutes after play resumed gave Lamine Yamal a chance to win it from about 22 yards out on a free kick. Yamal's strike was curling toward the right post, and Martinez dived to knock it away for his 10th save of the afternoon — the most ever in a World Cup final.
He leaped to his feet, punching the air and imploring the crowd to get loud. Not long after that came the whistle, sending the game to extra time.
Spain took 15 shots in regulation, Argentina none. Spain took nine corners, Argentina one. And somehow, 90-plus minutes of that sort of dominance wasn't enough.
With its victory, Spain became the first nation to simultaneously hold the World Cup crowns in both men's and women's soccer.
It was the 104th and last match of the biggest World Cup ever, a 48-team event that played out over the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Because there were more matches than any previous World Cup, it was no surprise that there were more goals than all other editions — 308.
The spectacle was not limited to simply soccer.
Celebrities — from all walks of life — were there. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Will Ferrell, Cillian Murphy, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Hudson, Jon Hamm, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker were among the actors at the game.
The NBA had enough talent there for a full All-Star Game, with the list of players attending including Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bronny James, Cade Cunningham, Cooper Flagg, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Draymond Green, Jalen Brunson, Jalen Williams, James Harden, Jaylen Brown, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant and Tyrese Haliburton.
Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz were among the tennis royalty watching, the NFL had names like Eli Manning, Patrick Mahomes, Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley in attendance, two of the greatest U.S. skiers ever in Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn were at the match — and, of course, there were soccer royalty with the likes of Kaka, David Beckham, Didier Drogba and Zinedine Zidane.
Post Malone headlined the closing ceremony, which started about 90 minutes before the final was set to begin and just a few minutes after Messi and Argentina arrived at the stadium. The halftime show — a first for FIFA and part of a 27-minute break — featured Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and BTS, along with Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the PS 22 Chorus with Coldplay, and even characters from Sesame Street and the Muppets.
President Donald Trump was present as well, with plans calling for him to be part of the trophy presentation at the conclusion of the match.
“I won't pick sides,” Trump told Fox Sports in an interview released Sunday afternoon before the final. “I just think it's very hard to bet against Messi. He's great.”
East Rutherford | Kylian Mbappé is now the owner of World Cup Golden Boots.
The French striker became the first player to finish as the leading scorer at multiple World Cups, winning his second Golden Boot award when Lionel Messi was blanked in Argentina's 1-0 loss to Spain on Sunday in the final.
Mbappé totaled 10 goals and four assists for a France team that finished fourth. Messi ended up with eight goals and four assists after going without a goal or an assist for the first time in his last 12 World Cup games.
Messi was still hoping to win a record-extending third Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He's already the only player to win the award multiple times since it was first given in 1978, and sparking Argentina's run to a second straight final at age 39 gives him a strong case for another.
The Golden Boot is one of the few things Messi has never won in his storied career, but he went into the final weekend with the lead. Both Messi and Mbappé had eight goals through the semifinals, but Messi owned the tiebreaker with one more assist.
Mbappé then scored two goals and had an assist Saturday in France's 6-4 loss to England in the third-place game, making him the first player with 10 goals in a World Cup since Germany great Gerd Müller had 10 in 1970.
The other awards to be presented Sunday for performances at the World Cup are the Golden Glove for the top goalkeeper, and the Best Young Player Award, given to the top player 21 years old or younger.
Spain is in good shape to win at least one if not both of those, with Unai Simón allowing only one goal in eight games and 19-year-old Lamine Yamal providing the dazzle up front and showing why he is already considered one of the most promising players in the world.
Mbappé also won the Golden Boot four years ago in Qatar, when France lost to Argentina in the final. This time, he could join players such as Italy's Salvatore Schillaci in 1990, Croatia's Davor Suker in 1998 and Germany's Thomas Müller in 2010 as players whose goals in a third-place game carried them to the Golden Boot.
The Golden Ball, Golden Glove and the Best Young Player Award are voted on by members of the media from a list of players compiled by the FIFA Technical Study Group.
