Spain’s young core drives World Cup final win over Argentina

Spain defeated defending champion Argentina in the World Cup final in New Jersey, winning its second title after a tournament marked by defensive control and a young squad. Al Jazeera reported that Luis de la Fuente’s team limited Argentina’s attack, held most of the possession and struck in extra time through Ferran Torres.

According to Al Jazeera, Spain allowed only one goal across the tournament and finished unbeaten, extending its run without defeat to 38 matches. The final followed a similar pattern to Spain’s semifinal win over France: patient possession, a strong midfield platform and little space for the opposition’s forwards.

A young team matured during the tournament

Al Jazeera reported that Spain entered the 48-team World Cup with the sixth-youngest squad, with an average age of 26.19 and six players older than 30. The report contrasted that with Brazil, which had an average age of 28.65 and 11 players over 30.

Several of Spain’s leading players were at the younger end of the squad. Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal were both 19, while Pedri was 23 and Nico Williams, who assisted the winning goal in the final, was 24, according to Al Jazeera.

Spain did not begin the competition smoothly. Al Jazeera reported that the European champion opened in Atlanta with a 0-0 draw against debutant Cape Verde, whose goalkeeper Vozinha helped keep Spain out.

Spain then beat Saudi Arabia and defeated Uruguay 1-0 in Guadalajara, according to Al Jazeera. In the knockout stage, the team beat Austria in the last 32 before Mikel Merino came off the bench to score late winners against Portugal and Belgium.

Spain found goals beyond Yamal

Yamal played in every Spain match at the tournament, Al Jazeera reported, but finished with one goal and no assists. After the quarterfinal win over Belgium, he said that “no one will remember whether I scored goals” if Spain won the World Cup, according to Al Jazeera.

Spain’s scoring came from several players. Al Jazeera reported that Mikel Oyarzabal led the team with five goals, while Merino and Pedro Porro scored twice each. Torres scored the goal that decided the final.

Yamal still had a direct impact, according to Al Jazeera. He was named player of the match against Belgium in the quarterfinal and won a penalty when Spain opened the scoring against France in the semifinal in Dallas.

Midfield control carried Spain through the final rounds

Al Jazeera described De la Fuente’s plan against France as built around control in midfield. Dani Olmo, Rodri and Fabian Ruiz helped Spain keep the ball and limited service to France attackers including Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise, the report said.

Spain won that semifinal 2-0, and Al Jazeera reported that France was largely held to shots from outside the penalty area. Spain then kept the same starting lineup for the final against Argentina.

In the final, Spain had 65 percent possession and Argentina managed two shots in 120 minutes, with none on target, according to Al Jazeera. Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez was sent off in second-half stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge on Cubarsi.

Spain used its bench in extra time, with Pedri, Williams and Torres among the players introduced, Al Jazeera reported. The breakthrough came in the 106th minute, when Torres finished into the roof of the net to seal the title.

Spain now holds both the European Championship and World Cup titles, according to Al Jazeera. The report noted that De la Fuente has extended his contract until 2028, while the next European Championship will be hosted by the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and the 2030 World Cup will include Spain among the main host nations.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.