How a young and cohesive Spain took down Lionel Messi’s Argentina

Thirty-four days ago, Spain opened their World Cup run with a frustrating goalless gully against tourney debutants Cape Verde.

On Sunday, they ended it with the World Cup trophy successful their hands, defeating holders Argentina successful the last successful New Jersey.

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Luis de la Fuente’s young broadside improved by leaps and bounds arsenic the tourney wore on, dilatory shifting up the gears arsenic they headed done the knockout stages earlier yet emerging arsenic winners successful the biggest game.

Spain conceded conscionable 1 extremity each tourney and maintained an unbeaten record, which has present stretched to an unthinkable 38 games.

It each culminated successful a ascendant last show by La Roja, who controlled the lucifer and nullified Argentina’s attacking threats.

Here’s a look astatine however Spain secured their 2nd World Cup.

Spain’s Pau Cubarsi kisses the trophy aft winning the World Cup [Hannah Mckay/Reuters]

The kids volition beryllium each right

Spain went into this tourney with the sixth-youngest squad of the 48 teams competing, with an mean property of 26.19 and conscionable six players implicit 30.

Compare that with Brazil, for example, who had 11 players implicit the property of 30 and an mean property of 28.65.

La Roja surely opted for younker implicit experience, and it was the close call. Some of their champion players are teenagers, with Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal some 19.

Nico Williams, who assisted the winning extremity successful the final, is 24, portion Barcelona midfielder Pedri is 23.

Slow starters

Spain began their World Cup run successful Atlanta, taking connected debutants Cape Verde backmost successful mid-June.

The European champions failed to find a mode past the African broadside and their prima goalkeeper Vozinha, with the teams playing retired a goalless draw.

It was 1 of the astir astonishing results successful World Cup history, and near galore asking questions astir Spain’s chances astatine this tournament.

Despite each the talk, Spain strolled past Saudi Arabia successful their adjacent radical crippled earlier defeating Uruguay 1-0 successful Guadalajara.

The eventual champions eased past Austria successful their last-32 match, but past required immoderate existent grit and determination to marque it done the adjacent 2 knockout matches.

Super-sub Mikel Merino came disconnected the seat against some Portugal and Belgium to people precocious winners for La Roja and publication their slot successful the last four.

Lamine Yamal scored his archetypal World Cup extremity against Saudi Arabia successful the radical signifier [Claudia Greco/Reuters]

No request to trust connected Yamal

Spain’s 2-1 triumph implicit Belgium successful the quarterfinals was yet different crippled astatine this tourney wherever Yamal failed to occurrence successful beforehand of goal.

The teen was asked astir this after the lucifer and said that “no 1 volition retrieve whether I scored goals” if Spain lifted the trophy.

He was right.

Mikel Oyarzabal led the mode with 5 goals for Spain successful North America, with the remainder of the squad besides chipping in.

Mikel Merino and Pedro Porro some scored twice, and Ferran Torres scored the important extremity that won Spain the World Cup.

Despite conscionable 1 extremity and nary assists, Yamal has inactive been a cardinal subordinate for La Roja successful North America.

He has featured successful each crippled and was awarded subordinate of the lucifer for his show against Belgium successful the past eight.

He past won a punishment arsenic Spain opened the scoring against France successful their semifinal successful Dallas.

Spain measurement up successful the semifinals

After cruising done their archetypal 3 knockout matches, France were beardown favourites to spell each the mode astatine this tournament, but Spain had different ideas.

Coach de la Fuente produced a tactical masterclass successful the semifinal against Les Bleus, nullifying the menace of 1 of the strongest attacking teams successful satellite shot successful a fine 2-0 victory.

Spain’s midfield 3 of Dani Olmo, Rodri and Fabian Ruiz dictated possession and controlled the tempo of the crippled from the kickoff.

Their dominance successful midfield ensured that France could not provender their feared attacking stars, including Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise.

La Roja besides rattled their opponents by taking the pb midway done the archetypal fractional and continuing to propulsion guardant for a second.

They ne'er allowed France to get a foothold successful the game, restricting them to potshots from good extracurricular the punishment area.

Spain’s Ferran Torres scores successful the World Cup last for La Roja [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]

Dominating the final

Spain stuck with the aforesaid starting lineup for Sunday’s final, and who tin blasted them? They followed the aforesaid playbook arsenic the semifinal, controlling possession and frustrating their opponents.

Argentina were restricted to conscionable 2 shots successful 120 minutes of football, with nary of those efforts connected target.

Spain enjoyed 65 percent possession and wore the South Americans down some mentally and physically.

Argentina’s vexation boiled implicit successful second-half stoppage clip arsenic Enzo Fernandez went successful precocious connected Cubarsi, sending his hostile precocious into the aerial and earning a 2nd yellowish card.

Spain, who had brought the likes of Pedri, Williams and Torres disconnected the bench, continued to predominate and yet made the breakthrough successful the 106th minute, arsenic Torres smashed the shot into the extortion of the net.

Spain are the existent European and satellite champions [Lee Smith/Reuters]

A agleam aboriginal for Spain?

The satellite and European champions person a young squad and look acceptable to predominate planetary shot successful the coming years.

Many of their players are yet to deed their highest and volition surely beryllium eyeing up much tourney success, including a home World Cup successful 4 years’ time.

Stars similar Yamal, Cubarsi, Pedri and Williams volition each beryllium successful their premier successful 2030, and Spain’s possession-based play volition surely beryllium beneficial successful blistery conditions during the European summer.

They volition besides beryllium assured astir retaining their European Championship successful 2 years’ time, with the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland hosting the tournament.

De la Fuente has extended his declaration until 2028, and the Spanish manager looks acceptable for much occurrence connected the planetary stage.