Spain beat Argentina in extra time to win second World Cup title

Spain claimed their second FIFA World Cup crown after defeating defending champions Argentina 1-0 in extra time in Sunday‍‍`s final at MetLife Stadium.

Substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the second period of extra time, finishing off a clever knock-back from Nico Williams to end a tense and hard-fought contest.

Spain controlled possession for much of the match and created the better chances, but Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced a series of impressive saves to keep his side in the game.

The turning point came deep into second-half stoppage time when Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card and was sent off after a late challenge on Pau Cubarsi, leaving the defending champions to play extra time with 10 men.

With the numerical advantage, Spain continued to press before Torres finally broke the deadlock to hand Luis de la Fuente‍‍`s side the world title.

Spain capped off an outstanding tournament in which they conceded only one goal in seven matches, relying on disciplined defending and a possession-based style of play.

Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, fought through a difficult knockout stage after dramatic victories over Egypt and England but fell just short of retaining the World Cup trophy.