Spain vs. Argentina Player Ratings: La Roja Claim World Cup Glory

Ferran Torres’s strike in extra time crowned Spain as the world champion for a second time.

It took a while for Spain to break through. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

Spain is the world champion for a second time, beating Argentina 1–0 after extra time in an emphatically one-sided World Cup final on Sunday.

Ferran Torres’s poised finish 106 minutes into a drab final was long overdue, with Luis de la Fuente’s team utterly dominating proceedings at MetLife Stadium.

Argentina, who had rode its luck to reach the tournament’s epilogue, was unable to muster anything by way of attacking inspiration, with Lionel Messi, surely playing for the last time on this stage, reduced to the role of bystander, thanks to Spain’s ability to retain possession and his team’s own shortcomings with the ball.

The holders were spirited, no doubt, and as La Roja wasted chance after chance, one just wondered whether this Argentina team, given its track record and penchant for the illogical, could pull off what seemed a minor miracle.

Enzo Fernández’s two yellow cards meant La Albiceleste were forced to play with a man down in extra time, and Spain’s unrelenting pressure eventually told. The European champions were justified victors in East Rutherford, N.J., with its second dominant cycle of the 21st-century reaching another peak.

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One Thing We Can‘t Ignore

FIFA held the first half-time show in men’s World Cup final history. | Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

Sunday’s final was a harsh reminder that the astounding culmination we enjoyed in Qatar was very much the exception, rather than the norm.

While plenty suspected that a clash of styles could make for an enthralling occasion in New Jersey, with the Apollonian Spanish facing the Dionysian Argentines, few projected that these two teams could combine as the finalists did in Qatar.

That contest four years ago was a slow burner, but there was a barely flicker at MetLife Stadium. This was a woeful final, it must be said, reminiscent of the 2010 showpiece, with Argentina playing the role of the rough and rugged Dutch (albeit not quite to that degree).

Argentina just couldn’t play. The mechanical Spain performed as it desired up until the decisive final action, refusing Lionel Scaloni’s chaos embracers a moment of peace. Respite arrived via FIFA’s hydration (commercial) breaks and an almost 30 minute-long half-time show that one can only presume is what a bad trip is meant to look like.

The quality of the final didn’t help, and it almost felt like the match was secondary, as supporters who paid inordinate amounts to be inside the stadium suffered through Justin Bieber’s downbeat acoustics, and those watching at home enjoyed another round of celebrity “Guess Who?” in the stands.

There was simply too much tinkering to an event that should be left untouched.

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Spain Player Ratings vs. Argentina (4-2-3-1)

Spain’s super substitutes took center stage. | Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Unai Simón—7.5: Once again, Simón was proactive off his line to close the space behind Spain’s defense. Barely made to work otherwise.

RB: Pedro Porro—7.8: Nico González’s presence meant it took Porro a while to get into the game offensively. Unbothered by what Argentina had to offer going the other way.

CB: Pau Cubarsí—7.9: Cool as ever despite the occasion. Despite a dry and bobbly surface, Cubarsí produced some sumptuous moments in possession.

CB: Aymeric Laporte—7.5: Laporte steadied after an early loose touch almost led to Messi running through on goal. One of several Spanish players who squandered good chances by firing straight at Argentina’s excellent goalkeeper.

LB: Marc Cucurella—7.4: Dragged an effort wide just before the interval, but perhaps could‘ve been braver with his positioning when Spain had possession to overload the right side of Argentina’s defense.

CM: Rodri—8.2: Spain‘s midfield general was never flustered. Saw plenty of the ball and was crucial in ensuring La Roja sustained attacks.

CM: Fabián Ruiz—7.3: Excellent against France last time out, Fabián was a nuisance out of possession here, but Luis de la Fuente turned to Pedri on the hour.

RW: Lamine Yamal—7.7: Yamal certainly didn’t produce the performance he wanted on the biggest stage, epitomizing his first World Cup.

AM: Dani Olmo—7.1: There really wasn’t much soccer played at MetLife Stadium. When there was, Olmo was often at the heart of it.

LW: Álex Baena—6.5: Toiled down the left flank without much reward. Spain needed an extra injection.

ST: Mikel Oyarzabal—6.2: Spain’s centerforward has just one sight of goal, and his effort from range was comfortably saved. Otherwise, struggled to knit things together in the final third.

SUB: Ferran Torres (61’ for Oyarzabal)—7.4: Andrés Iniesta, now Ferran Torres: Spain’s World Cup final heroes.

SUB: Pedri (61’ for Fabián)—7.7: Spritely off the bench and performed as if he had something to prove.

SUB: Nico Williams (75’ for Baena)—7.4: Having had a goal harshly ruled out at the start of extra time, Williams played a huge role in the winning moment. Game-changer.

SUB: Mikel Merino (75’ for Olmo)—6.7: Felt like a Merino winner was inevitable, and he did spurn a glorious chance in the extended period.

SUB: Martín Zubimendi (99’ for Rodri)—6.6

SUB: Eric García (99’ for Laporte)—6.2

Subs not used: David Raya (GK), Joan García (GK), Marc Pubill, Marcos Llorente, Alejandro Grimaldo, Gavi, Yéremi Pino, Borja Iglesias, Victor Muñoz.

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Argentina Player Ratings vs. Spain (4-4-2)

Lionel Messi was a bystander for much of his third World Cup final. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Emiliano Martínez—8.6: Martínez was forced into an array of saves throughout the contest, although Spain struggled to properly test Argentina’s goalkeeper until Yamal’s late free-kick in normal time.

RB: Gonzalo Montiel—7.0: The hero from 12 yards four years ago came back into Scaloni’s team for the final. Stuck to his task relatively well, even if Spain’s rotations down the left caused him a few issues.

CB: Cristian Romero—6.8: Positional play when defending Spain’s cut-backs and crosses was superb. Struggled to put a foot wrong, in truth, and his departure through injury was a blow.

CB: Lisandro Martínez—6.6: Few looked more up for it than the Manchester United defender, who received a booking for a clumsy challenge from behind just before he was forced off through injury towards the end of the first half.

LB: Nicolás Tagliafico—7.4: Among the Argentinians fortunate not to receive a first-half caution. Still, Tagliafico should be content with his day’s work up against Lamine Yamal.

RM: Rodrigo De Paul—6.0: De Paul returned to the starting lineup after his influential cameo in the semifinal, but was unable to impose himself on proceedings here.

CM: Enzo Fernández—5.4: The Chelsea man struggled in the face of Spanish pressure, with Argentina’s build-up play faltering. The challenge that led to his second yellow card was foolish.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—6.4: Referee Slavko Vinčić handed Mac Allister free rein in New Jersey, refusing to show him a card until the latter stages of the contest.

LM: Nico González—6.1: Struggled to record a positive contribution during his 45-minute stay, and it was no surprise Scaloni changed tack at the interval.

ST: Lionel Messi—6.6: Argentina’s talisman was a bystander for much of the final. Argentina struggled to get Spain off the ball, and they couldn’t string a sequence of passes together once possession was retained. Messi could only watch on.

ST: Julián Alvarez—6.0: The striker‘s work ethic cannot be denied, but much of his work out of possession was futile.

SUB: Nicolás Otamendi (44’ for L. Martínez)—6.3: Argentina’s ’general’ played much more than he would’ve imagined, and he rather cleverly bought a free-kick that denied Spain a goal at the start of extra time.

SUB: Leandro Paredes (46’ for González)—6.4: Booked almost immediately after coming on, and flirted with a red card for the remainder of the final. Probably should’ve started the game, given Argentina’s struggles in the build-up phase.

SUB: Nahuel Molina (58’ for Montiel)—6.8: Similar to the man he replaced, although he had the tougher task of containing Nico Williams.

SUB: Facundo Medina (71’ for Romero)—6.5: Forced to play at centerback after Romero’s injury.

SUB: Giuliano Simeone (71’ for De Paul)—6.1: Bundles of energy, but missed a decent chance late on.

SUB: Marcos Senesi (102’ for Alvarez)—6.1: Scaloni tried and failed to shore up Argentina’s backline by adding an extra defender in extra time.

Subs not used: Gerónimo Rulli (GK), Juan Musso (GK), Exequiel Palacios, Giovani Lo Celso, Nico Paz, Thiago Almada, Valentín Barco, José López, Lautaro Martínez.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Emiliano Martínez had a record amount of saves. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

• Pau Cubarsí’s early career certainly hasn’t been without its lows, but the demanding system he operates in at the club level has prepared him wonderfully for the international stage. Spain’s genius is its collective, with the foundations laid by a brave backline that operates in total harmony. His level of performance this summer has been astounding for a centerback of his age, with Aymeric Laporte alongside him offering the necessary serenity for the teenager. His campaign has served as a reminder of just how good he is now and how special he could become.
• Emiliano Martínez was never going to bow out of the World Cup with a whimper. The secondary protagonist in Qatar had a subdued tournament before the final, but Argentina’s goalkeeper was absolutely inspired on the big occasion. While his team toiled, Martínez remained defiant between the posts, with the difficulty of his saves seemingly increasing as the final wore on.
• Spain’s substitutions were instrumental in its eventual success, with two of them combining for the match-winning goal. Ferran Torres delivered the crucial moment, and Nico Williams teed him up with a clever back-post header. Williams was a live wire throughout, offering an injection of pace that Álex Baena didn’t. Pedri’s contributions shouldn’t go unnoticed either.

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The Numbers That Explain Spain’s Second World Cup Triumph

• There were just three shots between the two teams in the first half, the lowest tally in a World Cup final since 1966.
• Argentina didn’t register a single shot inside 90 minutes for the first time in its World Cup history.
• Enzo Fernández became just the sixth player to receive a red card in the World Cup final.
• Argentina’s first shot didn’t come until the 117th minute, a blocked cross by Messi.
• The teams combined for 46 fouls in a bitter final defined by ’tactical fouls’ and ’dark arts’.

Statistic	Spain	Argentina
Possession	65%	35%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.94	0.20
Total Shots	20	2
Shots on Target	12	0
Big Chances	4	0
Passing Accuracy	89%	77%
Fouls Committed	21	25
Corners	9	4

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