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The European champions conceded just one goal in the tournament and Spain’s success is a victory for a systemRelease the pressure, let it out. All of it and all of them. Again and again they had come, again and again they had been halted but they would not be denied. A dozen different players had taken aim at Emi Martínez’s goal but somehow he was still standing and time was slipping away, yet Spain refused to do so, so they came some more.And then, suddenly, only this wasn’t really sudden, the result instead of the purest logic, the clearest justice, Pedro Porro’s deep cross found Nico Williams at the far post and he headed back. The ball dropped deep inside the Argentina penalty area, bounced on the turf and just kind of sat there: waiting, willing someone take this moment.So at 5.42pm eastern daylight time, 37 seconds into the second period of extra time, Ferran Torres did. And with Spain’s 20th shot of this final, with all his might and all his soul, he won the World Cup. The ball travelled at 102km/h, tearing into the net, and Torres turned and tore in the other direction, sprinting to the corner where he leapt into the air and volleyed that too. Not quite so hard as he had hit the shot, but hard. From the bench and the pitch his teammates raced towards him, liberated at last, the joy flooding out. Oh, the release.Andrés Iniesta once said that the moment the ball sat up for him in the 116th minute of the final in South Africa in 2010, he heard the silence. Maybe Torres heard it too; maybe he heard history call. More often he has heard noise. Here there was an explosion, everyone at that end of New York New Jersey Stadium going absolutely mad. Torres stood there, doing a familiar gesture: jibber-jabber hands, ears “listening” wondering where the critics were now. Then he got the biggest hug Lamine Yamal has ever given.Late in Spain’s victory over Saudi Arabia on the day that Luis de la Fuente celebrated his 65th birthday, Torres had come on as a substitute and scored the final goal – or thought he had – only for the video assistant referee to take it from him. As they reviewed the footage, Ferran had stood with his hands in front of his mouth in a praying position, muttering to himself: por favor, be a goal; por favor, be a goal. This seemed like a portrait of the pressure, of what players put up with sometimes, a picture perhaps of desperation too. Spain were four goals up already, but here he was pleading for it to count.In the previous game against Cape Verde, he had hit the bar. In the next game, against Uruguay, he did it again. There was something that his critics took as confirmation, something cruel in how close it was. Too often he had felt that fate somehow was conspiring against him. Turned out, it was saving something for him: the greatest goal, the greatest moment in any player’s career. Justice had been done, not just in the game, which Spain had dominated Spain’s way – at that point Argentina had not had a shot – but to this team. This family, as De la Fuente calls them, all in it together.It felt right almost that it should be Torres, a symbol of all of them – like this was another moment shared, the collective expressed in one man who hasn’t always felt it but will now be for ever beloved. Torres became the seventh different Spain player to score in the US. At the World Cup of the stars, a team took the trophy. The European champions were the best team here, lifting that trophy having conceded just one goal, and this was a victory for a system, an ideal, a commitment to an identity. In that, it can feel almost inevitable but it is not. This was also a victory for vindication, for the belief their manager has in them and they have in each other, even if others do not. “People have been very unfair with him but he has a spectacular mentality, he keeps going, keeps working, and today life has paid him back,” Pedro Porro said of Torres. “This is for all 26 of us.”Coming into the tournament, Rodri, the captain, had not completed his rehabilitation yet. Lamine Yamal, the star, was returning from injury too, everyone waiting for him until they realised that maybe they didn’t have to. Williams, who had provided the assist, thought he wouldn’t get there: injured for much of the season, he fought back then feared Uruguay had kicked him out of the World Cup.Fabián Ruiz had missed most the season injured. Aymeric Laporte, imperious again, suffered with Athletic. Behind him, the debate around Unai Simón wouldn’t relent. Eric García and Martín Zubimendi came on here to win it: neither had had a minute yet, meaning Spain finished the competition with only two outfielders who have not played. Who had Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella down as the world’s best full-backs before the tournament? Plenty do now. Mikel Merino, the superest of super subs, had played only 28 minutes since March, but appeared to rescue them. Not once, but twice.And then, at the biggest moment of all, there was Torres.De la Fuente said that Spain had been “stung” by the doubts in those early games, the lack of recognition. “They are the best players in the world,” he kept saying, and it turned out he was right. Spain’s coach is a man of faith; faith in his footballers, his “family”. Every day over the last month he has exchanged messages with a friend Antonio, who is like a son to him, expressing the conviction they both felt. “It is written,” the messages say, and now it is.

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Argentina tried to kill the spectacle and make it a physical battle but Spain refused to take the bait and kept passingA worrying thought as a tepid first half drew to a close: was the half-time show going to be better than the football? This was a slog. Argentina could not match Spain’s possession approach but they had ways to level the playing field. There was physicality from Lionel Scaloni’s side, whose aim was to kill the spectacle before taking control in the second half, and they were allowed to take it to the limit by the Slovenian referee, Slavko Vincic. Alexis Mac Allister could have been booked for an early foul on Dani Olmo and the leniency, together with a pitch not conducive to playing flowing football, allowed Argentina to disrupt Spain’s passing game, creating the conditions for one of the most tedious World Cup finals.Credit to Spain for refusing to take the bait. The European champions maintained their composure as they won the World Cup for the second time, even though their patience was stretched by Argentina’s spoiling tactics and constant niggles. Argentina had no way up the pitch. They had problems passing out from the back, particularly from the left. Spain squeezed them. Their pressing was expertly coordinated, stifling Argentina. Enzo Fernández and Mac Allister were outplayed in midfield and Scaloni was forced to make a change at half-time, Nico González making way after struggling on the left wing and Leandro Paredes on to provide more stability. However, the switch did nothing to alter the mood. Argentina remained a cynical eyesore. Paredes was booked for a needless barge on Rodri and was lucky not to be sent off until after full-time. In the end Argentina were caught out by their own game. The writing was on the wall when Fernández, perhaps dashing his hopes of a move to Real Madrid, was sent off for two silly bookings at the end of normal time.Argentina are a slow, ageing side and had already played two rounds of extra time. Their legs were heavy and their cause was not helped by them losing both of their starting centre-backs to injury. Lisandro Martínez and Cristian Romero are comfortable on the ball so it was not ideal when they went off early. It deprived Argentina of another outlet, and their reliance on Lionel Messi also hurt them. Spain cut off the supply to the 39-year-old and were too intense for him. Messi was never able to find space, never able to shake off more than one Spanish player. There was no repeat of the crosses that hurt England in the semi-final and there was an argument that Scaloni should have taken off his captain after Fernández’s dismissal. Messi stood in the middle but could not hold the ball up. He was a passenger but Scaloni removed Julián Álvarez, who might have worried Spain more with his ability to run the channels.Álvarez’s departure was the cue for Scaloni to bring on Marcos Senesi and switch to a back five. The statistics were ridiculous. Argentina’s xG was 0.00 until conceding forced a desperate late flurry. Even then, though, the threat increased only to 0.22. It took until the 117th minute for the defending world champions to muster their first shot, Messi’s hopeful effort from long range deflected wide. Spain, defending as a team, were unruffled. Argentina had 34.9% possession and six touches in the Spain area. It was one-way traffic during the second half. Spain kept pushing – they had 20 shots to two – but poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping threatened to leave them at the mercy of a penalty shootout. Emi Martínez’s 12 saves were the most by a goalkeeper in a World Cup final and his best was a leap to push away away a Lamine Yamal free‑kick. Yet it was not enough.Spain were deserved winners from a moral and tactical perspective. They played all the football and proved their big-game mentality by standing up to Argentina’s nonsense. Rodri, excellent as the No 6 before making way for Martín Zubimendi in extra time, nullified Fernández and Luis de la Fuente’s substitutions were spot on. Pedri was incisive after replacing Fabián Ruiz in midfield. Argentina worked to stifle Lamine Yamal, using Nicolás Tagliafico to contain the teenager on the right wing, but De la Fuente stretched the play by bringing Nico Williams on for Álex Baena on the opposite flank. Now Spain had speed down both wings and the pressure told. Mikel Merino should have scored at least once after coming on but eventually a goal arrived. Pedro Porro sent in a deep cross from the right. Williams beat Nahuel Molina and pulled the ball back for another substitute, Ferran Torres, to score.

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Rodri looks back to his imperious best in Spain’s midfield while Enzo Fernández has a day to forget for ArgentinaUnai Simón Was alert to clear danger after Cubarsí’s early mistake. Otherwise could have brought his slippers. 7Pedro Porro Doesn’t look like a player who was in a relegation battle a few weeks ago. Was outstanding again. 8Pau Cubarsí Got away with his early error and didn’t put a foot wrong after that. Incredible that he is still only 19. 8Aymeric Laporte A steadying presence at the back. Could have been the hero in normal time if his header had been either side of Martínez. 7Marc Cucurella Always 100% committed to the cause as usual. Able to get forward whenever he fancied it. 8Rodri The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner looks back to his imperious best. Bossed midfield in his imposing style. 9Dani Olmo At the heart of most of Spain’s best moves. Produced a lovely flick to set up Lamine Yamal for an early chance. 8Fabián Ruiz Such a clever player. Finds space where others can’t. A surprise to see him taken off early. 7Lamine Yamal Looked determined to stamp his authority on proceedings. The heir to Messi’s crown is now a world champion. 8Álex Baena Usually provides real guile from the left flank but had a relatively quiet afternoon by his standards. 6Mikel Oyazarbal Put in the hard yards with endless running before being replaced on the hour. 7Substitutes: Ferran Torres (for Oyazarbal 62) Had a great chance to score just after coming on before etching his name into the history books with a sublime finish in extra time, 8; Pedri (for Ruiz 62) What a player to be able to bring on – took over where Rodri left off, 8; Nico Williams (for Baena 75) Injected some real urgency. Unlucky to have goal ruled out but assist for Torres was inspired, 9; Mikel Merino (for Olmo 75) So close to scoring another late winner after doing so against Portugal and Spain, 7; Eric García (for Laporte 99) A of couple of dicey moments but saw his team home in the end, 6; Martín Zubimendi (for Rodri 99) Added a calmness in the heat of extra time, 7.Emiliano Martínez Thrived again on biggest stage of them all. Pulled off three brilliant saves but could do nothing about the winner. 8Gonzalo Montiel Ate up the ground to make a crucial covering tackle to deny Cucurella before being replaced. 6Cristian Romero The Tottenham defender was forced off with an injury after a typically battling display and was sorely missed. 8Lisandro Martínez Booked for fouling Oyarzabal and picked up an injury in the process that brought a premature end to his afternoon. 6Nicolás Tagliafico Had his hands full with Lamine Yamal and far too often played himself into trouble. 5Rodrigo De Paul Little evidence of his attacking skills as Spain dominated possession and made way for Simeone. 5Alexis Mac Allister Got away with an awful early tackle on Olmo. Guilty of some uncharacteristically loose passing at times. 5Enzo Fernández Not his finest hour. Had to be sent off after clattering into Cubarsí to pick up a silly second yellow. 3Nicolás González Rewarded with starting place after starring off the bench against England in semi-final but couldn’t impose himself on proceedings this time. 5Julián Álvarez Barely touched the ball in the first half. Just couldn’t get into the game and was sacrificed after Fernández’s red card. 5Lionel Messi Not the swansong he would have dreamed of. Can’t be expected to keep saving Argentina for ever. 6Substitutes: Nicolás Otamendi (for Lisandro Martínez 44) Has always lacked pace and even more so now he is 38, 5. Leandro Paredes (for González ht) Brought on to add some more ballast in midfield but could not stem the flow. Disgraced himself with behaviour after final whistle and was shown red card, 6; Nahuel Molina (for Montiel 58) Helpless to stop a marauding Williams when he came off the bench, 5; Facundo Medina (for Romero 70) Looked extremely vulnerable against the pace of Torres, 5; Giuliano Simeone (for De Paul 70) Pulled out all the tricks to try to waste time. Should concentrate on playing football. Missed best chance to equalise, 4; Marcos Senesi (for Álvarez 102) Tried to shore things up at the back but wasn’t an easy task with 10 men, 5.

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BBC scored a late goal in head-to-head with ITV over the World Cup by being in the stadium for the final“I thought it was crap,” Wayne Rooney surmised on BBC after enduring the half-time show. Amid a tense final, the interval was always going to be prominent, theoretically bringing light to the shade. Why the two UK broadcasters felt the need to transmit the karaoke session in full we will never know but at least the pundits struggled through it, too.Ally McCoist said it had “mentally scarred” him as someone in attendance, unlike many of his ITV colleagues who were sat in Brooklyn. The studio has rightly earned them kudos, creating a home alongside the Hudson River with the Brooklyn Bridge providing the dramatic backdrop. With the game only an expensive train ride away, it was a surprise to see Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright in familiar surroundings.Mark Pougatch scripted a safe opening, which is what you expect from the ITV presenter, while BBC made more effort by hiring an American voiceover artist and captured the mood of the match as Lionel Messi v Lamine Yamal. Both sides were subtly seething with rage over England’s failure to reach this stage, which would have made it a greater spectacle for the domestic audience, with a lot of editorial proposals floating past Manhattan.The BBC was playing catchup, having spent most of the tournament in Salford rather than San Francisco. With the authoritative Gabby Logan hosting from New York New Jersey Stadium and coaxing the best out of Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards – a trio that provide plenty of energy stood up inside a stadium that was bursting into life as the minutes ticked by – ITV appeared more subdued in absentia. Rooney proved he is not a regular in San Sebastián pintxos bars with his mangled pronunciation of Mikel Oyarzabal, much to the amusement of his colleagues.A backup team of Laura Woods, Karen Carney and Emma Hayes were in situ but reduced to cameos. Seeing the venue, the noise and the colour that comes with it is always part of the occasion, something missed pre-match by ITV, whose main interest came in Robbie Williams singing the ironically named Fifa anthem Desire which no one wanted to hear. Twenty minutes of potential insight was lost on both sides to national anthems and Phoenix Nights-style entertainment.Guy Mowbray and Alan Shearer are fine professionals, knowledgable and engaging, but lack the cutting edge of the ITV trio on the gantry. Sam Matterface is not always to everyone’s taste but he keeps the viewer on their toes because he can throw in an unexpected line without notice, while Lee Dixon plays McCoist’s straight man, a necessary addition amid such a turgid match, joking that the final was so bad it would turn the Americans back to baseball. The host broadcaster spent far too much time finding every single celebrity in attendance. Mowbray did not seem to recognise Matt Damon, while Matterface quipped “the talented Mr Scaloni” as the camera cut to the Argentina coach.No requirement for adverts is always a benefit for BBC, even if pushing the licence fee continued, allowing it to do some proper analysis before Ronaldo was released by Madonna from his kidnapping, looking confused at re-entering society wearing a shellsuit and driving a dune buggy. ITV had to appease its paymasters and did its best to sell everything under the sun but when back in the studio everything was rushed, providing vague insight on a muted opening half.There were ITV giggles over the referee’s shaving foam spontaneously ejaculating to keep spirits up to counteract the tedious football, while BBC stayed stony silent. “There’s not more shows?” a concerned Dixon asked as extra time loomed, as ITV brought the greater mirth, but it mustered only a few seconds of punditry after the ads. “It was awful,” Matterface said of normal time, a hard piece of honesty on what is a career highlight for any journalist.Amid the joviality Matterface immediately knew Enzo Fernández was heading for an early bath but Mowbray did not realise a second yellow was incoming, indicating who had the calmer mind. ITV’s referee analyst, Christina Unkel, was clear with her view on what happened, while Darren Cann’s quiet review was less convincing.ITV rested on laurels from earlier praise and should have had a greater presence at New York New Jersey Stadium rather than taking the safe route. BBC’s pundits were sharper and given the space to air their views but ITV’s more entertaining commentary balanced it out. No one will be too eager to rewatch the match but, more than anything, the public should not be subjected to another half-time show.

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It was the triumph of an idea, an identity. Of an unshakable and patient faith. And when it was over, Spain’s new generation having emulated the one from the 2010 World Cup, all of those legendary names, there was simply delirium for them.Spain were the only team that turned up to play this World Cup final, from the first whistle to the last in extra time. Argentina were damned by their lack of ambition even before they had Enzo Fernández sent off towards the end of the regulation time. It was extraordinary to report that they did not have an attempt on goal until the 115th minute.Spain did not let them play. Just as they have barely let any of their opponents do so during the course of this tournament. Their miserly defence has been the cornerstone of everything. They have been breached just once in their eight matches.The question that came to pound concerned their ability to find a way through the sky blue and white ranks. It was the only question. Spain stayed true to their style; to who they are. The possession. The cohesive movements. The control. When they found the answer, it was the moment when they knew that a second World Cup triumph was about to become gloriously real.The goal came in the 106th minute and it was nothing less than they deserved. Pedro Porro crossed deep and it was a wonderful header back by the substitute Nico Williams. It teed up another replacement, Ferran Torres, for the opportunity of his lifetime. The finish was high and true.The Argentina manager, Lionel Scaloni, looked ready to cry. It was a white knuckle ride that carried his team to this stage, defined by late goals and a never-say-die spirit. At no point in any of their knock-out games were they ahead in the 90th minute.Argentina flickered in the very closing stages. The substitute Guiliano Simeone lashed a half chance high. But there would be no successful defence of the title they won in 2022; no fairytale sign-off for Lionel Messi. He could not suppress the tears as he gazed at the Argentina support afterwards.Messi and his team had won their previous three tournaments – two Copa Américas either side of the last World Cup. They had not lost a knockout tie since the 2019 Copa América. They got what they deserved here. There was an ugly flashpoint after full time when Leandro Paredes, who had come on as a substitute, was given a red card for grabbing the Spain replacement Eric García by the throat.Argentina’s reaction in defeat was shameful. They turned their backs on the Spain players as the trophy was presented, preferring to keep their eyes on the fans behind one of the goals. Donald Trump, who did not want to leave the stage as the Spain captain, Rodri, got his hands on those six kilograms of solid gold bliss, was not the only person to make a spectacle of himself.It was quite the show overall in the land of the spectacular show. It started with a ceremony, one to officially close the most bloated tournament there has been, which took in all manner of performances. Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of the US anthem before kick-off was certainly something; ditto Tom Cruise’s speech about the beautiful game. We kicked off six minutes late. There was plenty more at half-time. The action on the field did not keep pace.Argentina had one flicker in the early running when the Spain goalkeeper, Unai Simon, left his line to deal with a Julián Álvarez throughball for Messi. The clearance was straight to Álvarez but his first touch was poor. That was pretty much it from them in forward-thinking terms.The game was all about Spain’s dominance of the ball. Nobody cherishes it quite like them. Rodri set the tempo at the back of the midfield while Lamine Yamal had a few eye-catching moments. He went close at the outset. Spain finessed their patterns. They tried to wear Argentina down.Did anybody enjoy the half-time show? It was a strange detail that Madonna, one of the headline acts, did not actually appear on the pitch. Instead, there was big-screen video of her singing in the back of a car which was driven by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.Spain pressed high. They forced turnovers. They probed. Argentina could not free themselves from the choke hold. The chances started to come for Spain after the hydration break in the second half of normal time and Argentina were indebted to their goalkeeper, Emi Martínez. He finished with 11 saves, some of them excellent. Were Argentina trying to win the World Cup without taking a shot? Scaloni could scarcely have built a lower block, although he doubled down still further in the 101st minute when he introduced Marcos Senesi for Álvarez and went to 5-3-1.Lionel Scaloni restructured in midfield, introducing Paredes in the holding role for the left-winger Nico González. The Argentina manager wanted his players to get closer to their opponents. It was not long before Paredes barged Rodri off the ball and was booked.Fernández was guilty of losing his composure. Booked in the 83rd minute for dissent, he was asking for trouble when he left something in on Pau Cubarsí to send the Spain defender spinning. Argentina just about reached extra time when Martínez dived to repel a Lamine Yamal free-kick. His best saves before that had denied Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte and Williams.Spain turned the screw in extra time. Martínez continued to resist, saving once again from Williams. Spain were denied when Mikel Merino, on as a substitute, was adjudged to have fouled another replacement, Nicolás Otamendi, moments before Williams swept home. It was a generous decision for Otamendi, who appeared to throw himself to the ground. Merino glanced wide from a Williams cross when gloriously placed.Spain’s pressure reached the point when the breakthrough felt inevitable. Torres provided the release, the joy. He would also run through in the 113th minute to beat Martínez again, only to be pulled back for offside. The goal he did score was all that mattered. Luis de la Fuente’s unstarry team have a second one on their shirts.

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It zipped along, cramming in Shakira, Madonna and Coldplay, but football fans may not be convinced of need for this mid-match spectacleLike hydration breaks and Donald Trump’s ability to get refereeing decisions overturned by simply phoning up the president of Fifa and complaining, the final half-time show is an innovation of the 2026 World Cup that comes with a degree of controversy attached. For one thing, its existence automatically means the World Cup final breaks the International Football Association’s 15-minute half-time mandate.For another, its obvious antecedent lies in the NFL’s Super Bowl, where the half-time entertainment has mushroomed over the decades from a few marching bands to one of the big pop events of the year. To its detractors, it smacks of America not so much embracing the World Cup as imposing itself upon it.But before you even got to the main event, there was more musical entertainment at the final to wade through, most notably the pre-match closing ceremony, a damp squib that neither the BBC nor ITV elected to broadcast live.Anyone who hastened to iPlayer was rewarded not merely with Post Malone debuting what’s presumably the first single from his forthcoming album the Eternal Buzz, Chrome Heartbreaker (a pivot back to hip-hop-influenced pop after his recent diversion into country, should you be eagerly tracking the artistic vacillations of Post Malone’s career) and duetting with Swae Lee on their US chart-topper Sunflowers, but also an online influencer-cum-professional wrestler called IShowSpeed performing Champions, a track that gained so much traction online that Fifa felt obliged to include it on the official Fifa World Cup album.A frightful cocktail of thunderous drums and autotuned vocals, it featured lyrics that make your average football song sound as erudite and profound as the oeuvre of Leonard Cohen: “I take a breath and wait for the ref / This is the World Cup, put your hands in the air.” Alas, news of its social media virality clearly hadn’t reached the audience in the New York New Jersey Stadium. The deathly silence at its conclusion made you wonder if perhaps the TV broadcast couldn’t pick up the sound of the crowd, but no: some fireworks subsequently went off and they went audibly mental.There was, it turned out, more to come. Jennifer Hudson sang the Star-Spangled Banner. Dutifully flogging a dead horse with all the professionalism he could muster, Robbie Williams performed the Fifa anthem, Desire, in the company of Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger. The ballad debuted at the draw ceremony in December and – like all the musical entertainment at said event – it was overshadowed by the news that Fifa had apparently started making up awards in order to give them to Donald Trump. It vanished into obscurity thereafter, failing to chart anywhere in the world. Listening to it exhumed for another airing, you were forced to concede that the world had a point.After all that, the actual half-time show felt like a comparative triumph. You could argue that the bar had been set pretty low without much dissent, but nonetheless, it zipped along, cramming a lot into its 11 minutes by the simple expedient of paring songs down to their bare essentials and swiftly cutting between artists. Madonna performed a version of her 2000 hit Music – reworked over a backing track immediately recognisable as derived from the Trammps’ Disco Inferno – on a vaguely Mad Max-ish vehicle piloted by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.Then the strains of the White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army rang out, ostensibly performed by three members of the Muppets’ house band the Electric Mayhem. There was no sign of their leader, Dr Teeth, but perhaps he was indisposed, being treated backstage after being exposed to Champions by IShowSpeed. BTS rattled through Dynamite, Shakira and Burna Boy played a truncated version of Dai Dai – the solitary World Cup song in recent memory to actually impact on the British charts – and Coldplay performed a song called Believe in Love accompanied by a children’s choir: the latter looks horrendous on paper, but was far less sugary in reality, undercut by the farty blast of a crowd of vuvuzela players.The solitary misstep might have involved allowing Justin Bieber to perform a downcast acoustic ballad, Everything Hallelujah – viral hit following his performance at Coachella or not, this perhaps wasn’t the moment for introspection – but no matter: if the half-time show wasn’t sufficiently head-spinning to convince the viewer it should be a regular occurrence at every World Cup final, it worked well enough to justify its existence at least this time. Although clearly not everyone felt the same way: “I thought it was crap,” offered Wayne Rooney, when pressed for his opinions by BBC presenter Gabby Logan.

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The biggest job in world football is up for election - and there’s just one candidate: Gianni Infantino, who is on course to be re-elected as Fifa president by a landslide in March.The Guardian understands more than 200 of Fifa's 211 member associations have already sent formal letters of support for a fourth Infantino term, with only a handful - Germany the most high-profile among them - yet to declare.The endorsements have flooded in despite a summer of controversy. Watch this video to learn more about why Infantino's power is so untouchable. Fifa has been approached for comment.

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Luis de la Fuente says he will not man-mark Lionel Messi in the World Cup final, even though the Argentina captain has scored eight times and provided four assists and the Spain coach’s own experience suggests it might not be a bad idea.In the buildup to Sunday’s final in New Jersey, De la Fuente told the story of the first time he encountered Messi, 22 years ago, when the Argentinian was a 16-year-old coming through at Barcelona, he was the youth-team coach at Sevilla and the under-19 cup draw brought them together in the last 16 in May 2004 at the Miniestadi.“I’m going to tell you something funny about Messi,” De la Fuente said. “Look, I met Lionel Messi when I was coaching at Sevilla in division de honour [the national under-19 league] and we played a Copa del Rey game against Barcelona. We went to Barcelona. They had spoken very well about a boy called Messi. So, we put a man-marker on him. In the 70th minute it was 0-0. When they gave a yellow card to the player who was marking him, I took him off. And in 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals.”

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After the team’s third-placed finish, we rate the 24 squad members who made an appearance at the tournamentJordan Pickford Could he have done better with Enzo Fernández’s equaliser for Argentina? Jude Bellingham certainly thought so. But the man who has made more World Cup finals appearances than any other Englishman made some crucial saves, including a brilliant stop from Nicolas González in the semi-final. 7Dean Henderson Had to wait until the third-place playoff for some action and ended up conceding four goals despite a strong performance. Will hope to challenge Pickford over next two years. 7Djed Spence Emerged as an unlikely cult hero thanks to some wholehearted performances. He will always be remembered for snubbing Thomas Partey’s handshake and his tackle on Giuliano Simeone against Argentina. 8Marc Guéhi Somehow wasn’t Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice initially, although that was rectified after the Croatia game. England’s most consistent and reliable defender – the way he handled Erling Haaland was a masterclass. 8John Stones Arrived painfully short of match fitness and it showed in the opening game against Croatia. Much improved when called upon in the quarter- and semi-finals. A huge asset when he plays. 7Ezri Konsa A few shaky moments during the group stage but recovered well and filled in capably at right-back when needed. At 28, young enough to be there again in four years. 7Dan Burn Showed his limitations against Argentina. But he will always have those two epic appearances off the bench against Mexico and Norway. No one will forget the clearing headers so powerful they ended up in the opposition’s half. 7Nico O’Reilly Had his strongest game against Norway in the quarter-final when he was at his marauding best. Will be disappointed not to have scored and to have been on the pitch as a substitute when Argentina instigated their semi-final comeback. 6Reece James Such a good player when fit, which is sadly far too rare. Missed most of the tournament owing to a hamstring injury and England suffered when he went off against Argentina. 6Trevoh Chalobah The Chelsea player was a surprise choice to replace Tino Livramento, who pulled out injured at the last minute. Managed only six minutes against France in the end. 6Jarell Quansah Brought in to solve the right-back conundrum against Panama, he was doing well until the rush of blood against Mexico and subsequent red card. Recalled for the France game and had to be replaced. 5Jude Bellingham Showed his supreme quality when it mattered and could not be more committed to his country’s cause, even if his rocky relationship with Tuchel had to be carefully managed. 9Elliot Anderson Didn’t allow himself to be distracted by his £116m move to Manchester City and grew as the tournament progressed. Ran his heart out against Norway and Argentina. 8Morgan Rogers Made the most of his limited minutes in unfamiliar roles. Showed what a good player he is by playing as one of the two central midfielders against Norway before setting up Anthony Gordon from the right wing against Argentina. 8Declan Rice Clearly affected by the hamstring and back problems that marred the second half of his season with Arsenal, even if his effort – as ever – could not be faulted. Needs a long rest to recharge his batteries but may not get one. 6Eberechi Eze Could not have the impact he would have wished for in four substitute appearances before starting against France. Did a decent job in central midfield against Panama but was largely on the periphery when given a chance on the left in the quarter-final. 6Jordan Henderson Spent 12 minutes on the pitch, in a historic appearance against Panama when he became the first England men’s player to appear at seven major international tournaments. But managed to get booked against Mexico as a substitute and break an arm celebrating the win. 5Bukayo Saka Three goals and three assists despite playing through the pain of an achilles injury was a courageous effort from Arsenal’s talisman. It was a huge surprise not to see him come off the bench against Argentina and he showed what England were missing against France. 8Anthony Gordon A quiet start having been preferred to Rashford before responding magnificently to being dropped. Three assists and a goal against Argentina showed why Barcelona were so keen to sign him. 8Harry Kane Sadly his tournament will be remembered for a largely anonymous display against Argentina rather than rescuing England against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Will he ever have a better chance to win the World Cup? 8Marcus Rashford Made a good start to his third World Cup by coming off the bench to score against Croatia, and started against Panama. But wasn’t seen again until England were chasing the game against Argentina in injury time. 6Ivan Toney Sat on the bench until Lautaro Martínez’s goal in added time of the semi-final. Could not make an impact in the three minutes he was given but did well against France. 6Ollie Watkins Largely a frustrated spectator despite his heroics in the Euro 2024 semi-final and arriving here in a rich vein of form. A half on the left flank against France and a brief appearance against Panama were scant reward. 6Noni Madueke Some promising moments but lacked end product in his four starts and had slipped down the pecking order by the semi-final. Needs to be much more clinical at this level. 5Did not play: James Trafford and Kobbie Mainoo

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Great brought an ideology to Barcelona that Guardiola and Emery refined, defining the playing style of the national teamTwo countries are generating powerful, cross-border momentum in football. Spain represent the leading footballing culture, radiating their influence across the globe. Argentina possess a distinct identity that shapes the South American continent. Consequently, the World Cup is witnessing the perfect final.The architect of Spain’s vision is Johan Cruyff. He brought the 4-3-3 formation and a specific ideology to Barcelona. A cadre of tactical purists, such as Pep Guardiola and Unai Emery, refined his approach into a philosophy that has defined the playing style of the entire league, all youth squads and the national team for nearly two decades. Its principles include ball-oriented defending, clearly defined positions and roles, a high level of organisation, and technical, combination-based football. Eleven players operate as a unit, moving like a swarm.Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, has internalised this guiding philosophy. He spent decades working in youth development at club and federation level, and his assistants are longtime associates. On the pitch, this style is embodied by Rodri, the world’s best player.Spanish idealism triumphed over French individual brilliance in the semi-final. Spain’s superiority was perfectly illustrated by the goal that made it 2–0, when the full-back Pedro Porro – unmarked inside the penalty area – slotted home with the inside of his right foot.Spain exerts influence across its continent because of its dominance. The nation has won three of the past five European Championships (2008, 2012, 2024) and is, by a wide margin, the most successful country in European club competitions this century. Spanish coaches are in high demand across top leagues, having exported their ideas throughout Europe for years. The women are world champions.The World Cup has underscored the fact that the global style of football is largely shaped by a Spanish-dominated Europe. At present, almost all of the international elite look to the models established by Barça, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. Wherever a coach follows this guiding principle, sporting progress ensues. This confirms an age-old maxim: the quality of the coaches determines the quality of the sport.It is not true – as is sometimes claimed – that coaching methods have changed globally. What is happening is an alignment with the elite level. This applies to France, especially since Luis Enrique moulded PSG into the best club in Europe. Didier Deschamps has long embodied this philosophy. Although he didn’t quite make it to a third consecutive World Cup final, he is handing over a team with a promising future.England’s squad benefits from the Premier League – the world’s strongest league – which is highly international. The team are physically imposing and battle-hardened. The leaders Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane stepped up, aiming to achieve immortality after a 60-year wait. In the semi-final, however, their opponents’ stronger sense of identity prevailed.Thomas Tuchel moulded his squad into a cohesive unit that functioned well for much of the tournament. Yet the team lacked the biggest-name stars and failed to grow in stature from one match to the next. Ultimately, he lost faith in his lineup against Argentina. His substitutions stripped the team of stability and confidence, causing the collapse.Success follows where, beyond a guiding philosophy, there is outstanding individual quality, as seen in Norway with Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard. Even when such talent is lacking, teams that adhere to the principles of a clear philosophy remain competitive. Canada (Jesse Marsch), the USA (Mauricio Pochettino) and Ghana (Carlos Queiroz) hired coaches with experience in Europe. This trend is extending to Brazil (Carlo Ancelotti), where the unique abundance of talent from the past has faded.Morocco benefit from having a large portion of their squad trained in European academies or playing in top European leagues. Geographical proximity to Andalucía is an asset, and the country is due to co-host the 2030 World Cup. Tactically, the team are no different from Europe’s elite sides. Other African teams, too, defend compactly, operate with structure out of possession and are difficult to beat. Their players and coaches look to Europe for their approach.At this tournament six of the quarter-finalists were from Europe. From the starting lineups, 84 of 88 players were under contract with European clubs last season. The other four played in Europe before moving to a different continent after the age of 30, Lionel Messi among them. With the exception of one penalty, every goalscorer from the winning teams in the quarter-finals and semi-finals plays for a club that has reached a Champions League final in the past decade: Real Madrid, PSG, Arsenal, Liverpool, Atlético, Inter, Chelsea and Tottenham. True excellence is forged in Europe.However, it is quite possible the world champion will come from South America for the second time in a row. Argentina also set a model: defensive, focused on physical duels and prioritising security. Football as an existential struggle, deeply rooted in the culture. With the exception of Brazil, all South American teams were managed by Argentinian coaches.The prime example is Lionel Scaloni, who could become the first coach since the Italian Vittorio Pozzo, in 1938, to successfully defend a World Cup title. Scaloni spent 10 years as a professional in Spain, where he took his first steps as an assistant coach. He was mentored by De la Fuente, the man he will face in the final. It is a small world in football.Philipp Lahm’s column was produced in partnership with Oliver Fritsch at the German online magazine Die Zeit.

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Lionel Scaloni says he has a squad full of fighters – wild and unruly – but on the pitch they play with a freedom reminiscent of eight- or nine-year oldsAfter scoring the goal that secured Argentina’s place in the World Cup final, Lautaro Martínez burst into convulsive sobs during the touchline interview. He spoke of the first pair of trainers his father bought him and of how his mother kept making his bed when he moved to a club pension house in another city as a teenager. Every single day. Martínez said that mattered to him more than any goal, any cup.Argentina’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni, said he was a bit worried after England’s goal but never stopped believing in his players. “They grew up in environments where they were afraid of nothing, in which they’ve always been the best at what they do,” he said. “As small children they competed and everyone expected so much of them; responsibility doesn’t weigh them down.”Scaloni said that on the pitch they play like eight- or nine-year-olds. “They’re not thinking: ‘We’re about to lose a semi-final.’ They’re thinking about playing football, which is what they’ve done all their lives.” He regards the players as wild, unruly and spontaneous. Fighters, men of honour. With deliriously high expectations placed on the squad, the management team advocate for the love of play and the childlike qualities of relating to the ball.The Nobel prize-winning economist Simon Kuznets said there were four types of countries: developed, underdeveloped, Japan and Argentina. Not fitting easily into a type, especially in our binary times when complexity and nuance have become increasingly alien to our processing abilities, is characteristic of Argentina and its people.There is a meme doing the rounds that says: “To kick the Spanish out, first we had kick out the British. History is cyclical and repeats itself.” The image is of battles of independence more than two centuries ago, and the reference is to two British military incursions met with enough resistance to stop them. We learn about the British invasions in primary school in Argentina but I have never met a Briton who has heard of them.The fact that Argentina is a soil of anticolonial struggle appears to surprise observers from the northern hemisphere, who point to the European ancestry of much of the population. Throughout the 20th century many footballers used this European heritage to claim nationalities which allowed them to play for big European clubs. Before the Bosman ruling, that was pretty much the only way to secure a lucrative gig in the big leagues.Since breaking ties with the Spanish crown in 1810 and 1825, the republic has welcomed all peoples of the world. An Argentinian could have a Guaraní mother and an eastern European father. Nazis fled here after the war, and one of the biggest Jewish communities outside Israel continues to track them down. Carlos Menem, the son of Syrian immigrants, gave the go-ahead for the construction of Latin America’s biggest mosque when he was Argentina’s president. Evangelical preachers can be found in every nook and cranny of the vast territory.Indigenous people conduct daily struggles to win back rights and land taken from them and Argentinian Afro-descendants have taken to social media with all their might to make their voices heard. Russians and Africans are the newest migratory waves to be welcomed, and Venezuelans have joined the long line of neighbouring South American incomers. Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurants, Chinatown and Ukrainian cuisine are to be found.Argentina is a diverse and open society. This is not to say everyone lives happily in some idyllic conflict-free way. It is as polarised, classist, prejudiced and unequal as other countries.The one thing that has provided a unified sense of national identity, whatever that may mean, is football. We love football as an art form, an escape. We are good at football. We export players and managers on a par with grain and meat. The poorest children in the vacant lots play keepy-uppy with anything they can find, perfecting skills in reduced spaces, while the tradition of child and adolescent development is of an excellence to match any other.Daniel Passarella, captain of the 1978 World Cup-winning side, once told me that in most areas of human endeavour, Argentina always wanted to be one of the big nations but was regarded as a lesser. “Football is the one thing we can shake hands with any opponent, look them in the eye, and know they see you as an equal,” he said.At this World Cup, Argentina’s proximity to Fifa and Donald Trump makes the idea of avenging underdogs quite a stretch. Messi mania is a marketing success without precedent, the football association’s financial activities are being examined by the FBI, and outside Argentina the squad is the least simpático of all. Criticism is pouring in from intellectual literary publications and rightwing sensationalist streamers alike.But Argentinians are emboldened by this, turning to developments on the pitch as a valid response. We will surrender to Messi magic, allow our emotions to flow with every spin of the ball, becoming believers in the sacred power of the circle. For the duration of the game. Then, we return to reality with no expectation that anything will be different.The Brazilian poet Sérgio Vaz wrote: “One doesn’t watch football, one feels it.” It is the contentment football can provide, even in the suffering; the pain, the tears and the fear. The emotions are so real, visibly shared. We feel, and we are not alone. It means we’re alive.

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As the top two in the Fifa rankings prepare to meet in New Jersey on Sunday we look at the pointers that may help decide the gameSlavko Vincic becomes the first Slovene to referee a World Cup final. He oversaw the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley (Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0) as well as Spain’s 2-1 win over France at the 2024 Euros semi-final. The 46-year-old’s first World Cup match was Argentina’s opening loss to Saudi Arabia in 2022. At this tournament, Vincic showed Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié a red card for covering his mouth in the 95th minute against Mexico. He has averaged 2.33 yellow cards per game.Thirteen of the past 14 World Cup and European Championship finals – men’s and women’s – have been won by the side who played their semi-final first. On the other occasion the semi-finals were played on the same day. Spain’s men started the streak, beating Italy 4-0 in the final of Euro 2012. Argentina have also benefited, enjoying four days rest to France’s three going into the 2022 final. This time it is Spain who have had an extra day’s rest.No Argentinian president has attended a national team World Cup match for 36 years and the current one, Javier Milei, will be no exception. He has watched all seven games from his presidential residence, telling a Buenos Aires radio station there is “no way” he is travelling to New Jersey. The superstition dates back to 1990 when Carlos Menem visited the Argentina squad before their shock opening loss to Cameroon. The president’s attendance at a World Cup match has since been thought to bring bad luck to the team. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, plans to attend the match and so does King Felipe VI.An Argentina victory would make them the third country to win back-to-back World Cups and the first this century. Italy won in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil did so in 1958 and 1962. If Spain triumph, they would become the fourth men’s side to hold the Euros and the World Cup at the same time after West Germany (1972, 1974), France (1998, 2000) and Spain, who were the first men’s team in history to win three major titles in a row (Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012).Argentina have scored the most goals of any team (19) by some margin, with Spain in fourth on 14. But Spain have conceded the fewest goals (1), with Argentina letting in seven.If four quarters and a half-time show wasn’t enough, the winners will be handed rings. Presenting rings has been common practice in the US since the 1922 World Series. There is money to be made, with 30 rings available for the world champions and a further 1,996 going on sale to the public. The design features a mini World Cup trophy on one side, while the other will “reflect the identity of the winning team”, as revealed on Fifa’s website. The victorious team’s players and coaches will be handed temporary rings to allow the bespoke rings to be customised and presented at a later date.The sides were scheduled to meet this year in the Finalissima in Qatar, with Argentina hoping to defend the trophy they won against Italy in 2022. However, the game was called off due to the war in the Middle East and Uefa said: “After much discussion between Uefa and the organising authorities in Qatar, we can announce that due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima cannot be played as hoped in Qatar on 27 March.” The two teams were unable to agree on an alternative option and the match was cancelled.The final will be contested by two managers without any top-division experience at club level. Luis de la Fuente, who was dismissed after 11 games at third division Alavés, has been coaching Spain at various age groups since 2013. Lionel Scaloni has pretty much only managed the Argentinian national team – apart from six matches in charge of the Under-20s. Having already won the Euros, Copa América and World Cup between them, the pair have shown that elite club experience is not mandatory for international management.Apart from the extra rest day, Spain may be fresher anyway having finished all of their games in 90 minutes. Argentina have played extra time twice and have logged 794 minutes compared with Spain’s 717. The South Americans faced similar circumstances in Qatar where they played an extra 30 minutes in the quarter-final. Will a squad largely four years older have enough energy in reserve?While temperatures are not expected to be unbearably high, the National Weather Service issued an air-quality alert due to wildfire smoke drifting from Canada. The New York Office of Emergency Management said that air-quality levels in the city had reached “very unhealthy” levels on Thursday, but conditions have improved significantly. Spain have been relatively protected from such environmental factors throughout their campaign, having played one of their seven matches in a fully outdoor stadium. Argentina have played outside three times, including two occasions where temperatures reached 32C.The sides have played once at the tournament, Argentina winning 2-1 in 1966. Luis Artime scored both goals for the South Americans and you can read the Guardian’s report from the match here.