Spain Deserved Winners!

And so we have a winner! Spain won the 2026 World Cup Final in what can best be described as a lack-lustre final. I’m being polite, of course, it was a stinker! Nevertheless, Spain should be congratulated on an impressive tournament where they showed themselves to be the best national team in the world.

Lamine Yamal wasn’t quite ready to crowned the next big star, but the attention he garnered only served to distract people from the many other quality players who were at the peak of their powers and managed to overcome, quite easily, any obstacles that were put in their path. In particular duo midfield duo of Rodri and Fabian Ruiz proved once again that central midfield is where matches are won and lost. Rodri, at times overrated, was consistent and Fabian Ruiz was excellent other than the final where he had a strangely sloppy performance.

Full-back position is the other area where strong character is essential and both Porro and Cucurella showed the type of quality that wins matches and tournaments.

The final itself was lacking something and the numerous “allegations” that have appeared since the game ended have done nothing to dispel suspicions that Argentina’s mental state was not optimal going into this match.

The fact is, that Argentina reached their peak in that second half against England and it was always going to be difficult to bring their best game after achieving such a major goal in defeating the English.

Many years watching these tournaments tells us that you have to peak at the right time to win a major tournament and in this sense Spain did what most champions do; scraping through the early rounds before bringing an 8 out of 10 game in the Semi-final against France. France had managed to bring all the pressure upon themselves with exhibition stuff in the early rounds. In a similar way, Norway were never going to beat England after what they did to Brazil in the last 16. Hunger is important, and Spain’s squad had enough hungry young players to maintain and improve their level throughout. They weren’t at the level of the previous Spanish winners – that’s for sure – but these players had enough desire and composure to stay the course and lift the trophy.

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But yes, Argentina’s performance was a little strange. No shots on target in 90 mins. Lisandro Martinez walking straight off with an apparently minor injury. And players passing backwards when an opportunity to break seemed on the cards. Suggestions have been made that some kind of unofficial sanction may have been placed on them after holding a political banner after the semi-final; the show had to go on, but with certain conditions.

This is something we will never know, but it’s hard to argue that Spain weren’t deserved winners. The Argentina team had surely run out of luck by the final and Spain had hardly been tested despite a more difficult draw.  Although unspectacular at times, Spain know how to win matches and may well be a force for years to come; Argentina need a reset, but nobody can write off a team with such fighting spirit.