The final

— East Rutherford, N.J.

Where to begin?

The hand to the throat after the game ended? Marc’s floppy hair when he first emerged, which for some reason made me immediately think, “I am wrong in my Argentina-against-the-odds gut feeling”? Or maybe Spain’s bench, walking one inch from the half-time flooring within seconds of Shakira leaving, commanding it to move out of their way so they could pass the ball some more, and get on with it? Ah, but what about the neat formation of players surrounding Messi as they departed at the half like a flock of birds heading south to have a chat, hoping their cultish behavior could pull it off once more? (I thought it would, before Marc Cucurella’s beautiful hair came flopping out around 2:45 p.m. in New Jersey).

A tournament of firsts had more of them in the finale. It was the first time the world’s first and second place teams met in the final, the first that the reigning European champions met the reigning world champions in the final, and the first time a typically-15 minute halftime stretched to 27 to accommodate Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shakira.

It capped off a summer of gripping, enduring stories. Many of them met in the final. Football vs. the fanfare; the beautiful game vs. its priced-out package; the VAR interventions; the disparate styles and continental squabbles; goalkeepers standing on their head and stealing the spotlight; heroes of the game, new and old.

In the end, Spain ran away with a game that Argentina hung morbidly off the ledge of, though they needed extra time to deliver the last blow. Argentina’s second-straight ‘Messianic’ World Cup mission fell short— and then exploded, as Paredes grabbed Garcia by the throat, then threw Gavi to the floor, in a post-match melee that marred the majesty of the winning moment.

La Roja

Prior to Sunday afternoon, Spain faced 19 shots, three on target, and conceded one goal. After Sunday afternoon, they faced 21 shots, three on target, and conceded one goal. In addition to many other best-in-class stats guiding them to their second World Cup trophy and first since 2010, that was, by a wide margin, the best defensive record not only in this tournament, but in any World Cup. They are the first World Cup champions to concede one solitary goal en route to the stage with the sparklers and gold confetti. They are the first to limit their opponent to zero shots in the first 90 minutes of a World Cup final, and secured the 1-0 with the largest gap in expected goals (2.29 – 0.22) on record. They are the first (here, the camera zooms out to show Aitana Bonmati in the stadium observing while thinking about running it back next summer) to become the reigning World Cup champions at the same time as their women’s team.

The best defense, as they say, is something that looks like Rodri’s pass chart. In the final, 101 of his 106 passes were accurate, a comprehensive performance from the midfield conductor whose 756 successful passes through eight games were the most in the tournament.

With Spain’s world-dominant familiarity with the ball, a toy they don’t share with strangers, Spain played a game of “watch what we can do” while trapping Argentina in their defensive third and firing off 20 shots, though only three in the first half. Argentina withstood as long as they could, but the Spain’s control of the game was insurmountable.

La Albiceleste

Emi Martínez, whose performance in Doha was essential to beating France in the final (he later got a tattoo on the part of his left calf that stopped a 120th-minute goal that could have sunk them) was all that stood between the reigning champions and a more humbling scoreline in the final.

Emi Martinez after the final whistle

Their defense met the occasion, especially in the first half, but Spain’s pressure wore them down. As the half climbed toward 90, shots on goal reached a more rapid pace to match the uptick in testy encounters. While Argentina failed to reach the other end of a field tilted by Spain’s dominance, let alone create a chance there, Emi Martínez made save after save to keep the central premise of Argentina’s entire tournament still pertinent: we might still do this.

The first sure sign their Jungian shadow would soon catch them was in the 93rd minute, as Enzo Fernández sent Spain’s sensational young center back Pau Cubarsí reeling in the air, earning him a second yellow and La Scaloneta the chance to prove their dormant comeback potential with 10.

Spain’s deserved trophy

Martínez had ten saves when extra time came, and 11 when it ended. But they weren’t enough to limit Spain’s deluge of late-game chances. While VAR pulled two Spanish goals back for slim margins and soft calls, the inarguable breakthrough came in the 106th minute. Set up by two players that had come off the bench, Nico Williams brought down a cross with his head for Ferran Torres in front of goal, who sent a decisive left-footed strike to the back corner of the net.

Torres, afterward said: “I just shoot with all the power of the Spanish people.”