Europe has reiterated its soccer supremacy when European champions Spain dethroned defending champions Argentina with an extra-time goal to add yet another coveted trophy to its showcase. Spain has been the custodian of the FIFA Women's World Cup trophy for women and thus becomes the first nation to hold both men's and women's titles to its belt.

It was a late Ferran Torres goal that helped Spain defeat Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

Also read: Amitabh Bachchan says FIFA WC final will be a battle of coaches, not just players

Argentina, playing its second successive final, however, fumbled against a motivated and highly organised Spain that did not allow its opponents a clear view of its goal in the game that was extended to 30 minutes of extra time after a 0-0 deadlock could not be resolved during the regulation period.

The defeat for the South Americans came as a big heartbreak for Lionel Messi, who was looking to win the golden boot that is awarded to the top scorer of the World Cup. It went to Kylian Mbappe of France, who scored 10 goals against eight by Lionel Messi.

Spain became the first side to keep the tournament’s star player, Lionel Messi, quiet, a feat that nullified the rest of Scaloni’s attack. He took just 15 touches in the first half, his lowest tally across the last three World Cups, with his pass from kick-off his sole contribution in the opening quarter of an hour.

There was a moment, in the dying moments of regular time, when Messi sprang to life. Very unlike him, he mostly remained ineffective or isolated for most of the time in the regulation period. His touches were few and far between as he was unable to weave the usual magic with them. It is unusual for a player of Messi’s class to stay quiet for long.

And after Fernandez’s red card, he tried to come back to his own.

Messi has put in some of the great World Cup performances. A few of them have come this summer. But today was not his day. He could not influence the outcome of the gold medal game. His one shot of note came deep into extra time and was blocked before it tested the Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón.

Though Messi, like the previous two major comebacks staged by Argentina in the tournament – against Egypt and then England – attempted a third one in the closing minutes of the game, it was too late. His corner kicks were penetrating, but the luck had eluded the 2022 champions.

Spain had the best defence, conceding just one goal all tournament. It had a clearly defined, consistent playing style that didn’t lean heavily on its star player Lamine Yamal. Rather, it was a clear lesson for others on how a team should play in an elite competition like the World Cup.

There were ugly scenes after the final whistle, as scuffles broke out between Argentina and Spain players.

In fact, the game also lacked the finesse of a final as the European champions dominated, keeping their South American opponents defending stoutly. Dominance of Spain was so complete that Messi and his men were not able to have a clear glimpse of their opponents' goal till the final few minutes of the extra time.

As the two teams moved to the centre of the playfield for the awards ceremony, Lionel Messi sat alone while trying to control his tears. So were other players as the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, escorted his friend and the US President, Donald Trump, to the dais for the award ceremony. The Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, and the Mexican Premier were also among those who awarded medals and trophies to players.

Spain captain Rodrigo was declared Man of the tournament while his goalkeeper Unai Simón was awarded the Golden Glove.

The day belonged to Spain as it started dominating proceedings right from the word go. Its forwards tormented Argentina’s defence. The margin would have been much bigger but for lion-hearted goalkeeping by Martinez, who kept the scoreboard goalless till the end of the first half of the extra time. It was only at the beginning of the second half of the extra time that Fareen Torres scored after William Junior back-headed a cross from Lamine Yamal that put Martinez in a helpless position.

Argentina had to pay a heavy penalty for losing Fernandes to a red card in the extra time. The Argentina midfielder was first penalised for dissent. After being eased off the ball by Rodri in the centre circle, he collapsed to the floor and appealed for a foul. When the referee Slavko Vincic ignored his pleas, he aggressively swung his arms, showing his disgust. Vincic brandished a yellow card.

In added time at the end of 90 minutes. A loose ball landed between Fernandez and Spain defender  Pau Cubarsi. The latter was always the favourite for it and got there first. Fernandez should have pulled out but didn’t, sending Cubarsi tumbling through the air.

For Spain, it has been its first World Cup title since 2010, while Argentina was looking for its fourth World Cup title in seven appearances in the final.

Once again, it was a substitute that scripted success for Spain. Ferran Torres was Spain’s hero, shooting past Emiliano Martinez in the 106th minute of the game to break Argentina's hearts and stop Lionel Messi and his team winning back-to-back World Cups.

When the South Americans arrived in defence of their title, they looked more confident than they were today. Their skipper, 39-year-old Messi, struggled to find his touch throughout the game. Probably it was his quietest game of the tournament, with just a single touch in the opening 15 minutes — and that was from the kick-off. Argentina didn’t have a shot in the first half and struggled to test Spain, who were the better team throughout but failed to find a breakthrough until Torres finished off an excellent move.

The stop-start nature of the game was not helped by a 27-minute half-time show featuring Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shakira, among many, many others.

Argentina was apparently second-best in the game that headed for extra time. The South Americans suffered a setback when their midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card.

And with a player advantage in the 30 extra minutes, Spain began to exert even greater control, and after having one goal ruled out for a soft foul on the Argentina centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, Torres’ goal was enough to win the World Cup.

Spain kept pushing, probing, attacking and asking incessant questions of the Argentina rearguard.

It was one-way traffic when Argentina had 11 players, let alone when they had 10, but as Argentina kept fouling, spoiling and slowing the game, penalties seemed inevitable.

Then, finally, in the 106th minute and with their 20th shot, Spain broke through.

has dragged Argentina out of holes. Sometimes it has seemed like their entire system is just giving the ball to him. When you have the best player ever, that makes a kind of sense. Here, though, it was not enough. Messi was well marshalled. And Argentina had nothing else.

It will go down as a bleak, unfitting ending. It also carried a few resonances. A decade ago, Messi walked out of MetLife Stadium convinced he’d played his final international game, Argentina having lost the 2016 Copa America final to Chile. “It’s over,” he said after that match. He was not, at that point, universally loved in his homeland.

It wasn’t over. Messi’s second act has been magnificent. It has yielded a World Cup and two Copa America titles. It has cemented his legacy, especially at home. He was hoping, in New Jersey, for the perfect finale. But for once, fate did not smile on Argentina’s talisman.

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