Spain beat Argentina to win World Cup for second time

{"text":[[{"start":7.55,"text":"Spain have been crowned World Cup champions for the second time after defeating Argentina 1-0 in a tight but completely one-sided final."}],[{"start":16.7,"text":"The game on Sunday afternoon in New Jersey ended 0-0 after 90 minutes, with a lacklustre Argentina side keeping a confident Spain at bay. Argentina were reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernández was sent off for a second yellow card during added-on time after 90 minutes. "}],[{"start":34.9,"text":"Soon into the second half of extra time, Spain finally broke the deadlock when Barcelona striker Ferran Torres fired home a headed knockdown from Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams."}],[{"start":47.15,"text":"Despite the need for extra time and the narrow scoreline, Spain totally dominated the game throughout. Argentina began the match as reigning World Cup champions, but took until the final minute of extra time to register their first shot. "}],[{"start":62.8,"text":"Spain had 65 per cent possession, recorded 20 shots on goal and completed twice as many passes as the South Americans. Williams also had a goal disallowed for a foul on an Argentine defender in the first period of extra time, while Torres had another ruled out for offside. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":78.8,"text":"Lionel Messi, Argentina’s 39-year-old captain and talisman, barely touched the ball until late in the game. "}],[{"start":85.39999999999999,"text":"Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes was reportedly shown a red card after the final whistle for shoving a Spanish player in the throat and sparking a brief brawl between the two sides."}],[{"start":97.05,"text":"Spain’s victory sets a new record for the longest unbeaten run in international football, now 38 games and counting under head coach Luis de la Fuente. His team, who were seen by bookmakers as favourites before the tournament, conceded just a single goal during eight matches at the World Cup. "}],[{"start":115.15,"text":"In contrast, Argentina had relied on late goals to overcome Cape Verde, Egypt and England on the way to the final."}],[{"start":122.5,"text":"Argentina, Messi and head coach Lionel Scaloni had been seeking back-to-back titles following their World Cup final win in Qatar in 2022. "}],[{"start":133.05,"text":"The largest Argentine newspapers, Clarín and La Nación, respectively conceded that Spain “was superior” and Argentina had “resisted as long as it could”, while tributes to Messi, who has almost certainly played his final World Cup game, flooded social media."}],[{"start":150.35000000000002,"text":"Spain’s only previous World Cup final appearance ended in victory against the Netherlands in 2010. The team are also the reigning European champions."}],[{"start":159.55,"text":"Madrid turned into a jam of honking cars and scooters as elated drivers and passengers waved Spanish flags and exchanged chants of “Vamos España!” and “Campeones!”, while pedestrians flocked to celebrate in the central Plaza de Colón."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":176.4,"text":"The game took place under the gaze of US President Donald Trump, making his first appearance at a World Cup match. Trump and his wife Melania watched on from behind sheets of protective glass alongside Fifa president Gianni Infantino. "}],[{"start":190.15,"text":"Next to them sat three leaders who have had sometimes strained relations with Trump — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Spanish Premier Pedro Sánchez. The US, Mexico and Canada were co-hosts of the five-week tournament. "}],[{"start":207.75,"text":"The group was joined on the podium by Spain’s King Felipe, while Trump and Infantino shared the job of handing the World Cup trophy to Rodri, Spain’s captain. He was also presented with the Golden Ball trophy, awarded to the player of the tournament. "}],[{"start":222.5,"text":"Soon after receiving his runners-up medal, Messi — considered by many to be the greatest player of all time — stood weeping as he stared up at the massed ranks of Argentina fans, who greatly outnumbered Spanish supporters among the 80,663 in attendance. "}],[{"start":238.2,"text":"The game broke new ground in Fifa’s attempts to generate more money from the world’s most watched sporting event. A dozen VIP pitchside seats sold for around $1mn each, while the cheapest seats for the final during the initial sales phase were priced at $4,185 — almost seven times higher than for the 2022 final in Qatar. "}],[{"start":260.25,"text":"The game also demonstrated Fifa’s push to broaden football’s appeal by importing traditions from US sports, such as Super Bowl-style performances from Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber and K-pop band BTS during an extended half-time break lasting nearly 30 minutes."}],[{"start":276,"text":"Additional reporting by Ciara Nugent and Barney Jopson"}],[{"start":287.45,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1784506732_7635.mp3"}