It’s official. Spain are world champions. Not only did they dethrone Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina, but they capped off one of the most complete performances of the FIFA World Cup with a disciplined defense and relentless consistency.
Spain’s title run was about more than making history.
La Roja relied on disciplined defending and clinical finishing to navigate a gauntlet of elite competition. They eliminated Kylian Mbappé’s France, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and, ultimately, Lionel Messi’s Argentina team to lift the World Cup trophy.
FOX Sports’ World Cup Now panel of Peter Crouch, Kasper Schmeichel and Maurice Edu praised Spain’s dominant World Cup run. They all agreed that La Roja made every elite opponent look ordinary and at times, even amateurish.
“Spain has made the teams that we thought were favorites look human, right?” Edu said. “They had a similar kind of impact in today’s performance. “They made them [Argentina] look amateurish for big spells at this recreation.”
Spain’s World Cup title on Sunday was its first since 2010, ending a 16-year championship drought. Extra importantly, it might be just the start for La Roja, which is led by 19-year-old famous person Lamine Yamal and includes a roster with a mean age of round 26.
“This can be a harmful staff that may be harmful for a very long time,” Schmeichel stated. “They’ve grown up on this system and so they have younger gamers. They’ve a means of enjoying. An identification and it’s clear throughout. In the event that they proceed being this effectively drilled, there’s nothing that may cease them for fairly some time.”
Spain’s protection was one of many match’s greatest storylines and far of the credit score belongs to goalkeeper Unai Simón. Spain conceded only one objective all through the World Cup, the fewest ever by a staff that went on to win the match.
“Spain dominated that recreation fully and dominated this World Cup,” Crouch stated. “Conceding one objective and profitable a World Cup? They’ve by no means been in hassle at any level and totally should be champions.”
Spain didn’t simply win a World Cup. They created a legacy. The way in which this staff dominated all through the match might be remembered for years, and Yamal lifting the trophy after defeating Messi makes for a real passing-of-the-torch second.
“They’ve been superior in each facet, however clearly, soccer is extra than simply ways,” Schmeichel stated. “There’s quite a lot of emotion in it. There’s quite a lot of mentality in it. The staff that was the very best staff within the match got here out on high.”
