World Cup: Spain Win The Tournament - 5 Live Reaction

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0:30Build a grazing board with fresh fruit, prosciutto, and artisanal cheese. Then fire up the grill with no antibiotics ever proteins and fresh produce. Savor the season. Shop Summer Fruit Fest at Whole Foods Market. At the People World Cup 2026, the Football Daily Podcast with Kelly Gates.

0:52Ian Dennis:Support to our right is incredible. The Argentina fans with their shirts being twirled in the air. hoping for one last chance, it will not come. And Spain have won the World Cup in New Jersey. 1-0 winners after extra time. They've beaten the holders, Argentina, who could not take that final step. And Spain, oh, they are such worthy winners. Spanish players running hither and thither. And there's also been a little bit of nonsense, I've seen a punch being thrown down there. There's some bad temper in the centre field, near the centre circle. But in all other areas, Spanish celebration, certainly in the stands.

1:38Ian Dennis:And Luis de la Fuente, what an achievement by him. European champions under the unheralded Luis de la Fuente two years ago. Now he's the coach of the World Cup winners. I think it is all calming down now, Chris. Yeah, it's Paredes who threw punches at Eric Garcia at the end of the game. I think he was unhappy with Garcia's reaction, but yeah, it's all settled down now. And let's get it right, the best team won, the best team of the tournament won. The slickest, the silkiest, the stingiest Spain. Absolutely phenomenal, and they thoroughly deserve it. Not to be for Lionel Messi this time, not to be for Argentina, and that sending off of Enzo Fernandes, obviously a pivotal moment in the game, Paul.

2:29Yeah, key moment in the game, but they've been outplayed the whole game, and that bad sportsmanship there at the end, there's a couple of punches thrown there, I don't like it when it happens to them at the end of the game, but I think from Spain's point of view, to win a World Cup by conceding only one goal, that tells you a lot about the team and it tells you a lot about the quality. and I think they're a team of an age that are going to grow, they'll grow together, they're an experienced team now at winning tournaments, and every time that I've seen in this tournament they've been impressive, and none more so to them today.

2:58You can say they do maybe lack an ever-so-slight cutting edge, but it didn't matter today because they were by far and away the better side.

3:05Ian Dennis:Yes, you're right, Paul, they've got a little bit of a nerve, haven't they, to react like that, bearing in mind how they reacted and how Barco, the substitute, ran around torting the England players after the goal that was scored in Atlanta. But Spain can celebrate, Argentina commiserate with one another. And after extra time, Spain winning with that goal right at the start of the second period of extra time from Ferran Torres. Spain won, Argentina nil in the World Cup final. Kelly Cates. And your commentary team here at the MetLife Stadium, John Murray and Ian Dennis, Chris Sutton and Paul Robinson.

3:43and we're also joined by Guillaume Balaguet. Guillaume, you talked about how much the World Cup meant to you in 2010 when Spain won it. What does this one mean to you? Right now, I love being here, but I'd love to have a space machine and jump and go to my mum's. My sister's there and her partner, and I know that she's going to be jumping up and down. It's not much more than a win. It's a sporting win. But to win this way, to win in a way that we started producing 30 years ago, people that come to your head is Iñaki Saez and Gines Menendez, and you've got no idea who they are. But those were the first guys that said, how about if we just pick players that can do what Spanish players can normally do, be intelligent on the pitch, understanding what's going on, give them weapons so they can, at whatever part of the game or on the pitch, they can give what it's necessary this is the consequence of an idea one when an idea is a is such a rich idea that give you success and now you have to say with in another area of success is the celebration of that the celebration of continuity of process but also of course i just want to give a hug to all my friends i mean i love you all here and just four of you are giving me the back I would just jump on top of you and just give you big kisses because that's what it feels like right now to win the World Cup but also to win it this way it feels really really well and the fact that it's happened 16 years after the last one as well but that cycle has continued there's been a new generation of it yeah in 2010 it was like oh we could win this we favorites we're doing really well but how about if we don't Are we haunted?

5:38Is this not possible anymore? Here, it's like, well, if it's not going to happen here, it's going to happen at some point. It happened in the Euros. It will happen again. Because the idea has finally succeeded. We've got a bit confused after 2010, but perhaps we didn't choose the right managers. Perhaps we didn't choose the right players. Here, this is a national team that has been built for the last 10 years by Luis de la Fuente. Not on purpose, but certainly, as we've been saying, 18 of the 26 that are here have been with him in the youth sides so there is a difference there is a difference and you have to give credit to Argentina and one thing certainly they defended so well they made it so difficult to beat them we knew what we had to do and we knew we were going to be patient by the way we have been patient in games in this tournament and the goals have came so you knew it could happen but they made it really really difficult even at the end in playing with them as you said this is the the culmination of an idea of a collection of great minds coming together and putting a plan together for spain to to reach this point but it's also what you said and i remember you saying in in a preview to this whole tournament and you said this is the team spain have got individuals yes but their collective is what is going to win them this world cup you were quite quietly but very confident.

7:00Because Kelly and what does happen after you win a World Cup is that that way of playing is going to be fashionable. I don't know for how long I don't know if everybody believes in it I don't know if everybody thinks it's their way forward but isn't it better to play this way to know that they are good people but because they're good people they're able to make efforts for each other open up space running for each other helping each other supporting each other and we're taking the essence of the spanish football that has always been which is the pass into a sublime form that actually wins your tournament so collective pass intelligence if this becomes fashionable football can go to a different direction okay parterona have donated in the past at club level spain has donated in the past at national level but uh it would be good that others tried physique great you take it for granted almost but if you add intelligence to your football this is what gets produced here inside the stadium they're assembling the stage on which Spain will be presented with the World Cup to the right of that stage the Argentine players are sitting individually on the floor heads bowed exhausted absolutely wrung out from the monumental effort to try and keep this Spain side who've been so impressive throughout the tournament at bay meanwhile the Spain players over to our left in front of that that pocket of Spain fans are wandering around congratulating each other hugging each other the conditions the tournament has taken it out of these players Laminya Mar lying on his back just looking up into the air with his hands on his head, taking in the hugeness of what Spain have achieved here.

8:51And Chris Sutton, right from the beginning, Spain have looked like the complete team in this tournament. Yeah, they have the football they've played. And, you know, you ally that with how defensively strong and organised that they have been. The goalkeeper is a cool customer. I see him in England were saying, well, you know, how's he playing in front of David Rea? But, you know, he's been exceptional. You think of Jan Kvarsi, the centre-half, who's been one of the players of the tournament, so mature, so composed. Rodri has probably been the best midfielder, and you can say Laminya Maul hasn't got going, worked hard today, put a shift in, but as Guillaume said, they are and have been the best team, and it is good for football and it's good they won today and as much as I admire Argentina for all their fight and guts and pausery it would have been a travesty really had they got over the line today and you have to play to the way that gives you the best chance of success and it's taken Argentina to a world cup final but they came up Paul against a team who've been so impressive all the way through and as the Spain players are singing and dancing to the familiar strains that you can hear in the background of Aviva España.

10:09They're all gathered in a circle, bouncing around and celebrating with each other. It's incredible how much energy you can have after you've won, when you've played the same game as a group of players who are now absolutely wrung out, Paul, at the end of this 120 minutes. Yeah, and it's not the first 120 minutes that Argentina have had either, is it? I mean, this is the third time this tournament that they've needed extra time. And this is one that they were trying to take right to the end, right to the bitter end. They've not made many friends through this tournament, the way that they've played, especially against England, as we recognise that first-hand, but against other teams, the way they've played, not necessarily played the beautiful game, as you call it, and other than the Argentinian following that they've got here, which is absolutely incredible.

10:54Not many other neutral supporters over the tournament. And I think Spain, as we keep repeating, are more than a well-deserved winner, not just on today, but for the whole tournament. You look at the way that they've played, and conceding one goal to win a World Cup final. It's an incredible achievement to go all the way through. And actually, when you look at Spain's run to the final, Portugal, Belgium and France, they've beaten three world-class teams there. They've had by far the hardest run to the final without a shadow of a doubt, and they've made light work. I mean, the Portugal game wasn't great, granted that did lack a bit of quality, but they've beaten Belgium and France on the way.

11:29So, I mean, not easy teams to get to a final. This is Ferran Torres addressing the crowd, but Mikel Moreno has got an ice pack on his eye. Paredes was a disgrace at the end. There was a push on... ..who was it, Garcia, and then he threw a punch. And Moreno has got a black eye. I think the punch was on Garcia, though. Was it? I think Moreno, because that was in the Messi shot, wasn't it? Under the left foot shot which he thundered. But Paredes, yeah, I mean, had they been as accurate with their shooting, Argentina, as Paredes was with their punching, they may have won the game. Coffee in the morning, coffee in the evening, sings Bad Bunny, and I think there'll be a coffee in the morning, rum in the evening, and I think there'll be a lot of celebrating with the rum this evening after Spain have managed to get the World Cup, to win the World Cup again for the first time since 2010.

12:26There are various presentations going on on the pitch, And as you said, there was all that kerfuffle at the end. It was difficult for us to see from our position. But having looked back at the pictures and having seen what Alan Shearer has said about that in his commentary for BBC One, he says, Paradas threw two or three haymakers into someone's face, went for them. We know how much it means, we know how much it hurts to lose, but there is a way to lose. And the reaction after the final whistle is terrible. However, what Spain have produced has been incredible. we're watching laminya we saw him lying down the crowd the cameras are focusing on him he hasn't had the greatest of tournaments he came into injured he's 19 years old turned 19 across the course of the tournament but it feels like it's more appropriate for this spain team that actually the the key performances have been from players like rodri who's back to his ballon d 'or winning best and like alex bayena who's been so impressive and whose work is exceptional Cucurea, who's a player who probably has the most Argentinian style in him, which was very interesting when he came up against Simeone in this one particularly.

13:34It feels like it's more appropriate that they're the players who put in the key performances. All that is right, but I would have liked a little bit more of Lamine and Ferran not to miss a call of chances that he had. And by the way, I don't know how you describe it, but Nico Williams' goal should have been given. I don't think the referee get a foul, but then we scored and then they did. So I think he blew his whistle at the point where he thought the foul was made. It wasn't much of a foul but having blown his whistle and ended the game they can't then get VAR to look at something that is just a foul rather than a denial of a goal.

14:11I was next to some Argentinians who were saying you will say something about the referee now because they thought, they really honestly thought that Spain would have been benefited by the referee and I told them about that goal but okay, I won't mention the details of it. I think I'm right on that, but we'll get one of our refereeing experts to double-check because that's not what I asked. In any case, I don't think the referee had any influence whatsoever because we didn't allow it to happen. We passed the ball with fluidity. It's just that, yes, a little bit of Lamine, a sharp of a run. We could have finished this earlier.

14:46But you're right. This, I don't know who the man of the tournament is going to be. I would give it to Rodri. he was absolutely outstanding he's not only the guy that's run the longest in the whole tournament and an average per game the amount of passes that he gave to beat defenders he's at his sharpest he's at the Ballon d 'Or level and is the reference of the team in fact this is this is Rodri's team absolutely Pedri has suffered that Peter Pedri has had to come out of it because Rodri is in charge of this team

15:47We'll be right back. On 5 Live Sport. Oh, I've lived every ball of this. Listen on BBC Sounds.

15:59At the People World Cup 2026. The Football Daily Podcasts. With Kelly Cates. Listen on BBC Sounds. The negative noise that you can hear is because the US President Donald Trump is coming out alongside Gianni Infantino. It doesn't seem like they're the most popular people inside this stadium, but they're coming out to present the trophy. Donald Trump, the president, has just made his way out and I've got to say that was an adverse reaction at best for when he's greeted by a whole host of security guards, Gianni Infantino as well, you can see him with the white pumps making their way onto the podium that has been erected in gold and navy blue with a giant World Cup behind them as well.

16:46So the presentations are underway. He's walking very, very slowly. is Donald J. Trump. And that guard of Spain players, John Murray, has formed once again.

16:57Ian Dennis:Yes, so we will see all of those various prizes being handed out, but it's difficult not to take your eyes off the President of the United States. So the players are at one end of the pitch, to our left, Donald Trump and the presentation party, and Gianni Infantino actually arrived through one of the tunnels on the right-hand side of the stadium. and also the Mexican president, Claudia Scheinbaum, is there in a bottle green outfit, the colour of Mexico, and the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, as well, is part of that line. They're all ready now on the stage. ...commemorative medals to the match officials for today's FIFA World Cup 2026 final.

17:41Ian Dennis:And as you hear Slavko, Vincic, such a proud moment. If you saw the pictures when it was announced, the information was given to him that he would be refereeing the World Cup final, and how openly, emotional he was. Well, he walks up the steps and we now see the order of the handing of the medals, and it is Gianni and Fantino who will first greet the players, and it is Donald Trump who will put those medals around their necks. In fact, they're both doing it, Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump, to the various officials who are involved in this. So that looks... We now know the order. And then in the end, it will be Donald Trump who will walk across them.

18:22Ian Dennis:The World Cup is there, the trophy is there on a podium, which has flashing lights on it. And it was placed there by Sergio Ramos. And eventually that trophy will be handed to Rodri. But we'll see all of the Argentina players come up first and, as I say, the various awards, Kelly. and we're just watching as the procession is organized as Argentina are set to come through and Tim Vickery is still with us. Tim, these Argentina players are going to be so stunned by this defeat but there are many of them within that squad who are kind of coming to the end of their careers, their international careers.

18:59Yes, it's a relatively aging side, isn't it? and I think I'm sure that this will influence the decision of Lionel Messi to see, alright, Argentina had a day less rest and that was a factor, but they were very much second best, weren't they? Very, very much second best. I didn't record a shot of any kind until right at the end and I would now be, on the basis of what we've seen today, I would be very, very surprised if we still see him in four years. It's possible he could get a spark between now and then but you'd imagine it'll be time for Argentina to build a new side. And there are young players still within that squad who they will be able to build it around.

19:45There will be a natural kind of rebuilding of this Argentina squad. Yes, Scaloni has been planning for this. He's been looking well, well beyond this World Cup. So there are players like Nico Paz, who it's hard for Nico Paz, an attacking midfielder, had a wonderful season with Colmo in Italy. It's hard for him to play alongside Messi. That's why he's hardly got on the field this time around. But he's going to be an important player for Argentina's future. And there's a few that he's brought into the squad and had a look at and didn't bring to this World Cup. But they're already involved in the process.

20:23and whether Scaloni stays on because it's been eight years now in a very, very tiring job and they all must be exhausted now I think Argentina so it'll be a new era for them but for these last five years two Copa Americas a World Cup in the middle another World Cup final here's a team as Messi said on the eve of the game he said whatever happens this group of players have written a story that we will never forget John Murray tricky to work out exactly what's going on and when it's happening at the moment inside this stadium but the individual wards are currently being presented.

21:01Ian Dennis:Yeah, an air of disorganisation about it Koubasi, Pau Koubasi was announced as the young player, he rather bashfully stepped forward, then he was sent to actually walk through the avenue of his teammates who patted him on the head as he did so then he walked along the line, Infantino Trump et al and then he was presented with the the Young Player Award, and now Unai Simon is doing the same thing. And he has got the Golden Glove, and he walks onto the stage, and that is captured for posterity. He's framed by... Because they've also erected a 10-metre-tall image of the World Cup in the centre circle.

21:42Ian Dennis:So Unai Simon, and as we know, It is the Spanish captain who's announced as the player of the tournament and he walks up with a very satisfied smile on his face to receive his trophy and actually Claudia Scheinbaum is presenting him with that trophy. So these are the individual trophies and they'll announce as well that Kylian Mbappe has won the golden boot before we actually get the full presentation of the trophy. But Guillaume, you were saying this is a well-deserved presentation to Rodri, a well-deserved award for Rodri in a real team that Spain have managed to create. He has been a standout player, if not a sparkling player, if not a player of highlights and moments, but so important to what Spain do.

22:37and there was a point for him at which it felt as though maybe his career had gone because of injury and because it felt like he maybe wasn't going to be able to come back from that to the heights and now he's there receiving an individual award as a World Cup winner. Totally, totally. He's been talking openly about how last season having recovered from the injury he wasn't sure if he was going to get to the level that he was before and had a conversation with Pep Guardiola many conversations but one in particular in which he said Pep let me stop I need to just take stock of what's happened get my body in the right shape this is a world cup and the world cup became the priority and then having come back from from I think it was like a month and a half almost two months off what you got was a Rodri that was sharp got injured for the last couple of weeks before the end of the season but now he's at his best again and now led by Lionel Messi Argentina make their way up through that Spain guard of honour to collect their runners-up medals and this you would feel Chris Sutton has to sting for those Argentina players who while they may take criticism for how they've approached this World Cup have given everything.

23:52Yeah they have and there's a lot to be admired about the effort they've put in, the guts, the desire that they have shown, they never know when they're beaten, they were beaten by a better team today, this one is going to sting, but as I said earlier on in the tournament, I think this is a pretty average Argentina size to ones we've seen previous to this, of course, over the holders last time out, but no, that'll feel a real sore one for them today, a real sickener, and you can just tell the players getting their runners-up medals and the body language, shoulders slumped. Yeah, that'll be a day to forget, but I think they can be proud of the effort and the endeavour they put in throughout the tournament.

24:37I think Messi was thinking of taking his medal out and putting it back on, almost as if saying defeat is part of the sport. It does happen. You don't have to just be bitter about it, just accept it and move on. He has had in his career a lot of defeats and he comes from winning four consecutive tournaments So it's the sign of a captain that perhaps accepts the feats. And Lionel Messi in tears on the pitch as he's left the podium now, as in standing in front of, there are Argentina fans right round this stadium, but over to the right-hand side is where the huge bank of them are concentrated and they are waving their scarves and they are singing to these players players and Messi is in floods of tears in front of them possibly because he knows this will be his last World Cup appearance for Argentina there is a possibility that he might push himself for four years time where they will have a game in Argentina when that that tournament is played across three continents but Messi inconsolable at the moment Tim Vickery thoughts on on what he's given to Argentina and what he means to the Argentina fans of course but also to the rest of the Argentina squad Well it all could have ended here in this very stadium ten years ago when he very briefly retired from international football, how wonderful that it didn't and that he achieved everything that he had with Barcelona late in his career he managed to achieve that with the Argentina national team as well he becomes the key reference for the future generation of players.

26:20If this is the last time that the World Cup sees him, it's not the last time he's mentioned in the context of World Cups, because future generations will be trying to emulate what he did. So if this is the last time that we've seen him, he's played a wonderful tournament at the age of 38 going into 39. He's left us with some stunning memories, and you can't win all the time. And defeat is a part of victory. That's always the way that it's been and at least they weren't humiliated today they fought to the end Messi almost conjured them one or two opportunities right at the end it wasn't to be the right side has won and as some of those Argentina backroom staff are nudged out the way by the the crew who are unfurling an enormous Spain flag across the pitch here at the MetLife Arena Spain John Murray are making their way up to receive their winners medals and lift the trophy yes under blue skies with the sun still

27:16Ian Dennis:still shining on this enormous stadium, 80 ,000 people, most of whom have stayed, indeed the Argentina fans as well. The Spanish players have started receiving their medals, but the Argentina players have moved away, and that clearly was a painful moment, the World Cup winners in Qatar four years ago, they had to, led by Lionel Messi, they had to walk past the trophy they lifted four years ago, and they've actually gone away to the end where the Argentina fans are, so they walk towards their dressing room which is in the far right corner and they have stayed on the pitch and they are staring into the stands where the mass ranked of the argentina fans are and they are by the hundred possibly by the thousand the argentina fans waving shirts above their heads and argentina's players actually looking at them and with their backs to where the the Spanish players are receiving their medals, but the eyes fall back now to the line of Spanish players, the 26, with Luis de la Fuente as well, waiting at the back of that line.

28:22Ian Dennis:I mean, it is an extraordinary run that he has had as the coach of Spain. This is now 15 matches for de la Fuente, at either a European Championship or a World Cup Finals tournament, in which they are unbeaten, a record for a coach. And he is waiting at the back of the line with Rodri, who's got someone to hold the award that he's already received as the player of the tournament. And we see the players coming up the gold and blue steps of this podium. It is across the halfway line, there is that 10-metre tall image of the World Cup standing behind the stage, beyond that there is the flag of Spain, another one of those flags that you've seen before the matches, so that is out there on its own.

29:17Ian Dennis:And we see the Spanish players, the next one up is Hoyas Arbal, who has finished as Spain's top scorer at this World Cup with his five goals, was substituted today. Then it's the teenager, one of the two 19-year-olds, Pao Kubasi, who is next up in line, just two or three more players to receive their medals before we will have the presentation of the trophy. Unai Simon, then Marc Cucurea on his way from London to Madrid after this World Cup to join Real Madrid. He is up there, Gianni Infantino has a big smile on his face as he lifts the medal on the ribbon over all of that hair of his and places it round his neck.

30:05Ian Dennis:And then Victor Munoz, who is Liverpool bound this summer, and then Borja Iglesias as well, the number 26. So that is all of the players apart from the coach, Luis de la Fuente, this 65-year-old, he loves his history, he loves his Roman history. He's absolutely steeped in it while he's making history of his own. With no distinguished club record to speak of at all, that international football at the various age groups, and now at senior level, is absolutely his thing. And President Trump has plenty of words to say to the coach. He has to say on this warm afternoon, now evening here, he has looked very cool, Luis De La Fuente.

30:55Ian Dennis:and now it's Rodri who comes forward, Rodri, captain of Spain at this World Cup, Spain the first country to win the World Cup for a second time in this century, and Rodri now, Donald Trump allows him to walk past and we'll see, I'm assuming that Donald Trump will actually step forward and put the trophy in his hands, so the rest of his team-mates are gathered around. Luis de la Fuente now joins them there, and he reaches the end of the line, and actually Rodri goes and gives it a big kiss, and then walks away, and Gianni Infantino says to Donald Trump, come on, Mr President, step forward. And they are actually the two of them, Gianni Infantino, rather like the Club World Cup final last year when Chelsea won it, they are actually going to take the trophy between them, Gianni Infantino and President Trump, and they are going to hand it now to Rodri.

31:47Ian Dennis:And there it is, in Rodri's hands, The European champions of two years ago have won the World Cup now, just like Spain did in 2010. Then Spain triumphed in South Africa. As Donald Trump walks across in front of them, pumping his fist, we've seen that before, and now Rodri turns, and he holds the World Cup trophy, he kisses it again, and Spain have done it in North America. World champions. and what good world champions they have been. They've conceded one goal in eight matches. A dominant team led by Rodri of Manchester City. And the golden glitter is pumped out by the machines behind the stage.

32:34Ian Dennis:And the Spanish players, Rodri with the World Cup trophy in his hands, they bounce up and down and then begin the process of handing it around. What fine winners of the World Cup. Spain have beat, and Argentina and Lionel Messi, they applaud and now begin to head away, and Spain can really begin their celebrations in earnest here in the sunshine in New Jersey. And it all came down to a winning goal from Ferran Torres. Here's how it sounded on Spain's Radio Nacional.