Spain may ultimately need a Fernando Pieti like this to take back their world. As the ending arrives, the camera slowly shifts to observation, closing in on several of the central characters, showing how they try to adapt to a sense of chance. Against the sunny backdrop of a vast New Jersey stadium, a parable of disparate parts takes shape, blurring the lines connecting the present and the past.Nico Williams headed Pedro Porro’s cross into the center of the box and Ferran Torres put Spain over the top with a piercing left-footed strike in the 106th minute, 16 years after Andres Iniesta struck the winner with another lethal world-timer. As Phelan, fueled by adrenaline, uprooted the corner flag with a powerful kick and was celebrated by his team-mates, Iniesta sat in the frame with his 2010 team-mates, applauding and smiling.corresponds to this image montage Lionel Messi – His eyes were downcast, his shoulders hunched, with an almost dreamlike detachment, perhaps accepting the inevitable that was coming.Spain was reborn on football’s biggest stage, while Argentina suffered horrific self-destruction. There were no shots on target in regulation time; Messi’s lack of inner joie de vivre in the game and his peculiar disregard for making their battle more meaningful hit an insurmountable obstacle.
The Argentinian sky was too dark for their cosmic light – El Aleph – to shine and become inspiring in a single moment, so those stolen moments of ingenuity late in the semi-final against England never materialized in any form.Enzo Fernandez’s red card deep in regular time came with a maddening jolt, as hope was replaced by fear, and from that point on it became clear where the game was headed. Unsurprisingly, the winner’s curse struck Argentina again and their title defense ended up taking on an even more brutal picture – Leandro Paredes was sent off again after an ugly clash with Eric Garcia and Gavi after the final whistle.
That’s why Spain’s victory seems so redemptive, almost full of poetic justice. It’s less like a typical “La Furia Roja” and more like a symphony of different dizzying shades. Fearless, methodical, engagingly expressive and always with a deep sense of collectivism at the center of it all.Luis de la Fuente turned their former passing lullaby into a more direct and dynamic force, bypassing congested midfields with vertical expansion. It carries the lyricism of reaching a point of self-discovery when the synchronicity between players is tested and strengthened by tremendous adversity. It feels so fluid and free within its thematic scope that one might be tempted to view Messi’s Argentina as a narrative antagonist.
During the stream-of-consciousness process of Sunday’s postgame celebrations, another lasting image remained. When the championship coronation ceremony began, Messi stood up and accepted a warm embrace from 19-year-old Lamine Yamar. This is an unshakably beautiful picture, and its content is moving. It’s about passing the baton.
