It was the triumph of an idea, an identity. Of an unshakable and patient faith in it. 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, Argentina damned by their lack of ambition – even before they had Enzo Fernández sent off towards the end of the regulation time. It was utterly extraordinary that the defending champions barely mustered an attempt on goal.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.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 passing. The cohesive movements. The control. When they found the answer, it was nothing less than they deserved. The goal in the 106th minute followed a deep Pedro Porro cross and a brilliant header back by the substitute, Nico Williams. Another replacement, Ferran Torres, seized the moment of his life, lashing high past the Argentina goalkeeper, Emi Martínez. In only their second World Cup final, Spain had added a second star to their shirt.There was no fairy-tale triumph for Lionel Messi. His team tried to respond with ten men to the Torres goal and, belatedly, they showed a few flickers. The substitute, Guiliano Simeone lashed high in stoppage-time. Argentina got what they deserved. It was some distance from being a classic final – unlike when Argentina beat France in 2022. It will live forever in Spanish hearts.It was a spectacular show on one level. In the land of the spectacular show. Where everything is bigger, glitzier. Loaded with more sugar. 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 plenty more at half-time. It ended with a coronation, featuring those six kilograms of solid gold bliss.Ferran Torres smashes the ball into the roof of the net to deliver Spain’s extra-time winner. Photograph: Michael Zemanek/ShutterstockNobody cherishes the ball quite like Spain. They settled the quicker. They sought to assert themselves. They seemed to have an extra second in possession at the outset, normally more than one option. They were alive to the quick passes, such as the one that Dani Olmo returned to Lamine Yamal inside the area in the early running. The angle was tight for Lamine Yamal. His shot was kept out by a combination of Lisandro and Emi Martínez.Argentina had one flicker in the opening 45 minutes when the Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón left his line to deal with a Julián Alvarez throughball for Messi. The clearance was straight to Alvarez but his first touch was poor. Otherwise the first period was all about Spain’s dominance of the ball.Rodri set the tempo. Lamine Yamal had a few nice moments; a sumptuous touch here, a sharp turn there. Spain worked their patterns. They tried to wear Argentina down, to create the overloads. Argentina focused on their shape, on letting nothing pass. Not very much did in the first 45 minutes. Argentina did not care that their expected goals number up to that point was 0.00.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 VT of her singing in the back of a car which was driven by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.Lionel Scaloni restructured in midfield, introducing Leandro 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.Enzo Fernández sends Pau Cubarsí flying to receive a second yellow at the end of normal time. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/ReutersSpain continued to press high. They continued to probe. Could Argentina free themselves from the choke hold? It remained a tale of Spanish possession. They had a couple more shots; nothing too threatening. They over-elaborated at times. Their control needed to produce something clear-cut. Lamine Yamal did well to cross from the right after slipping away from two markers only for the substitute, Ferran Torres to head too close to Martínez. In context, it was a decent chance. By the time of the second hydration break, Argentina had still to attempt an effort on goal.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionIt felt as though Spain’s pressure had to tell. Argentina could barely have built a lower block. Were they trying to win the World Cup without taking a shot? Pedri, on as a substitute, had a flicker only to snatch at the attempt.Pau Cubarsi worked Martínez. Another substitute, Nico Williams, crossed for Aymeric Laporte and his header extended Martínez. Williams almost nicked it towards the end of regulation time. Again Martínez saved.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 Cubarsi to send the Spain defender spinning. Argentina just about reached extra time. They had Martínez to thank after he dived to his left to repel a Lamine Yamal free-kick on the edge of the area.Lionel Messi’s final World Cup game, probably, ends in defeat. Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersMartínez was a one-man wall, his save count the outstanding feature of the Argentina performance. He went to his right at the start of extra-time to keep out a Williams header; it was a clear chance, teed up by Pedri.Spain were also denied when Mikel Merino, on as a substitute, was adjudged to have fouled another replacement, Nicolás Otamendi, moments before Williams swept the ball home. It was a generous decision for Otamendi, who appeared to throw himself to the ground.Scaloni swapped Alvarez for Marcos Senesi and went to 5-3-1. Argentina really could go lower and they survived again when Merino glanced a glorious chance wide from a Williams cross.Torres ran though in the 113th minute to beat Martinez only to be pulled back for a tight offside. The one he did score was all that mattered.