Spain 1 Argentina 0: Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner breaks Messi and Co’s hearts after Fernandez’s stupid red card

THANK the gods of football. Thank Ferran Torres and Spain. And thank you and goodnight to the bully boys of Buenos Aires. On a New York afternoon that represented a worm in the middle of the Big Apple, Argentina paid, eventually, for trying to turn a football match into a streetfight. For the best part of two hours, Argentina did nothing. Nothing except foul, barge, kick and dig, that is, Lionel Scaloni’s men only interested in each and every one of the Dark Arts.. A scandalous display, as Lionel Messi’s last tango turned into a solo waltz drifting around on his own at the other end, watching the kicking match from a distance. READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP When Enzo Fernandes saw a second yellow for chopping down Pau Cubarsi in stoppage time, eight minutes after he had been booked for dissent, it effectively left his side down to nine. The Chelsea man could not argue. Not that it stopped him, taking an age to leave. Shades of Antonio Rattin at Wembley all those years ago, summing up the worst final since 2010, arguably the worst ever. But just as the threat of penalties, the fear that cheats might prosper from 12 yards in the ultimate test of nerve for the second time in four years began to feel real, Spain finally found a way past the inspired Emi Martinez. Most read in Sport WORLD CUP 2026 FREE BETS AND SIGN UP OFFERS WORLD CUP FINAL LIVE: ALL THE LATEST FROM SPAIN VS ARGENTINA Pedro Porro’s deep cross found Nico Williams, who outshone Lamine Yamine after coming off the bench, soaring to nod back. And there was Barcelona man Torres, slamming left-footed into the roof of the net from 10 yards, rewarding the team that tried to play. That Spain deserved this, despite the brilliance of Martinez, was unquestionable. Argentina did not have a SINGLE shot until Gigi Simeone slammed over in the 121st minute, taking advantage of the leniency of Slovenian ref Slavko Vincic, who allowed it to fester. The worst example was Alexis Mac Allister’s horrible, lunging scythe through Dani Olmo, committed with no intention of getting close to the ball but which received a cursory ticking off. He doesn’t make those tackles, or give those late bangs, in a Liverpool shirt. It’s like a personality transplant. Amid the skirmishes, a football match struggled to break out, although Rodri pulled the strings. Initially, Yamal, too, looked up for it. An early give-and-go with Olmo ended with the Barcelona teenager tamely steering into Martinez’s gloves. Then, after a sensational piece of control as Porro’s long ball down the line dropped over his shoulder to get in behind Nicolas Tagliafico, he crossed too close to the Villa gloveman. Messi was living in his own world, walking around, drifting between defenders, scanning the pitch for where the spaces might open up, his only touch in the first 15 minutes the kick off. Spain dominated yet that early Yamal effort was the only shot until Mikel Oyarzabal struck at the keeper from the edge of the box six minutes before the interval. Soon afterwards, Lisandro Martinez’s scissor foul on Oyarzabal brought not only the first yellow card but also his own enforced exit as he popped his groin, before Marc Cucurella drove across goal and past the post. A half-time break lasting 27 minutes was adding insult to injury. Shameful pandering to a US TV audience that doesn’t give a tinker’s cuss about football. Scaloni, aiming for some midfield control, sent on Leandro Paredes, whose first act was to give Rodri one in the back, sparking a bout of push and shove that ended with Olmo on the deck. Just before, Alex Baena had tested Martinez from distance and while Spain had been reluctant to pull the trigger, now they had the sniff of a goal in their nostrils. Olmo had an effort shovelled behind – after the ref had played a DOUBLE advantage outside the Argentina box – before Martinez flapped at a corner. From then on, though, it was the Martinez show, an outstanding display. The Villa keeper was in the right place when Yamal picked out newly-arrived Ferran Torres with a downward header. Pedri tested him from the edge of the box, swiftly followed by Cubarsi, up from the back, before the keeper grabbed Aymeric Laporte’s header from a short corner. Seconds before the end of normal time Enzo saw red for ploughing through Cubarsi. Despite all his protests, he simply had to go. It took him long enough, mind and only a fine save by Martinez to keep out Yamal’s free-kick extended it to the extra half-hour. Martinez had also saved from Nico Williams in that mad few minutes and repeated the dose once come from the substitute’s header, before the Bilbao man stroked home only for the goal to be ruled out for a phantom “foul” by Mikel Merino on Nicolas Otamendi. Merino then had to score from Williams’ cross, but glanced wide, although it was only delaying the inevitable as Torres scored a minute into the second extra period. He thought he had sealed it soon afterwards, slotting home after running through, only for his shoulder to have been offside. It ended with Paredes throwing punches at the final whistle. What a vile act. What a vile team. Not the way Messi should go out. But he is part of it.