Spain Finish Off a World Cup to Remember

After the final whistle blew, and Spain won its second-ever men’s World Cup, closing out a 39-day North American soccer extravaganza, a handful of Spanish bench players ran to mob Ferran Torres, the substitute who scored the game-winning extra-time goal. Nico Williams, who assisted on Torres’ decider, and Lamine Yamal, now the third-youngest player ever to start in a World Cup final (and to win it), embraced on the New York New Jersey Stadium grass, before laying next to each other, on their backs, exhausted. (Yamal’s teammate Pau Cubarsí, named the best young player of the World Cup, is the fourth-youngest player to start and win a final). Marc Cucurella, the energetic defender with the huge curly hairdo we’ve grown so familiar with this summer, blew kisses into the crowd. Rodri, the Spanish captain and lynchpin, winner of the Golden Ball as best player in the tournament, placed both hands on his head, in joyous disbelief.