The international press highlighted the Spanish team’s 1-0 victory in extra time against Argentina in the final of the World Cup between the United States, Mexico and Canada, defending that “football prevailed” and assuring, from England, that “any other result would have been a crime.”
Spain was proclaimed world champion this Sunday in the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, after beating Argentina in extra time (1-0) in a final in which the current European champion vastly outplayed the ‘Albiceleste’, but had to wait until the already magical 106th minute in which Ferran Torres scored the final goal.
From Argentina they highlighted “the end of a dream”, as La Nación headlined, thanking Lionel Messi in his sixth World Cup and his third final with the ‘Albiceleste’. “Thank you, Leo! Messi says goodbye to the World Cup with his third final and an unforgettable tournament. The captain of Argentina sits on the field, with resignation, but undoubtedly proud of having reached another final in his last World Cup,” they wrote in Clarín.
The Argentine media applauded the efforts of their footballers. “Argentina gave everything, down to the last drop of blood, the last spark of courage and the last bit of football it had left, and lost narrowly in extra time, with only 10 players, against a Spanish team that, although clearly superior, lacked the necessary courage to put the game to bed early,” they published in La Capital, while in Olé they recognized Spain as “the deserved world champion.”
And from England they were harsher with the South American team, the executioner of the ‘Three Lions’ in the semi-finals, ensuring that it was “a triumph of football over Argentine barbarity”, according to the Telegraph, which described the Argentine footballers as “criminals”. “Football won, thank God. Spain was desperately needed to win this final. Any other result would have been a crime,” they added in their chronicle.
From France, in L’Équipe they highlighted Spain as “the new kings” and “the best team in the world”, while in the United States they highlighted Ferran Torres as “the hero” of the ‘Roja’. In Italy, the Gazzetta dello Sport spoke of a triumph already written. “It was destined to be Spain, because if Argentina had won, it would have been an insult to football,” they wrote about the ‘Roja’ victory.