Luis de la Fuente was lost for words and swimming in pride after Spain were crowned world champions for the second time in their history, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to complete the greatest double in the sport.
Ferran Torres settled one of the finest World Cup finals in recent memory with a close-range finish in the 106th minute, arriving to convert after Nico Williams had pulled a cross back into the box.
It was a goal that ended a contest Argentina had somehow kept goalless for 90 minutes through the extraordinary brilliance of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who made 11 saves to break the World Cup final record and single-handedly keep the defending champions alive long after Spain’s domination had suggested the result was inevitable.
Argentina’s resistance finally crumbled deep into stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Pau Cubarsi, reducing Lionel Scaloni’s side to ten men for extra time.
From that moment, Spain’s eventual victory felt only a matter of when rather than if. Torres provided the answer 37 seconds into the second period of extra time.
The result means Spain have now won the European Championship and the World Cup in successive summers under De la Fuente, who took the job in 2022 with, as he put it in his semi-final press conference, “an idea, a philosophy” that has taken the nation to the summit of world football.
Speaking after the final whistle, the Spain manager could barely contain his emotion.
“So much pride. Pride for this generation of footballers that have been growing with this idea, staying loyal to the idea, and doing their best,” he said.
“They are an example of a team, a group, a family, and a collective of great players that have been exceptional. I’m just so proud to have accompanied them on this journey, to have been there with them on this trajectory is an honour.
“I can’t really tell you how I feel. All I can say was it was worth it. Of course at the moment I am very emotional, particularly having watched from behind the scenes.
“I have spoken so much to the players, who said to me, ‘Boss, we’ve won it all’, and it’s marvellous. This generation of players is an example for Spanish sport, for the Spanish youth. Together we are much stronger, and that is why we don’t forget anyone.”
‘We like to suffer’
De la Fuente acknowledged that even with that level of dominance and with Argentina reduced to ten men, the night had demanded everything Spain had.
“Of course we would have liked to win the game much sooner. The Martinez save prevented us from doing so.
“We tried and tried to get on the scoresheet but weren’t able to, but this is a World Cup final, even against ten men at the end we had to suffer. But, we like to suffer, and I’ll say it again, we were prepared for everything.”
