At the World Cup of superstars, a team take home the trophy | Sid Lowe

The European champions conceded just one goal in the tournament and their success is a victory for a system

Release the pressure, let it out. All of it and all of them. Again and again they had come, again and again they had been halted. Many players had taken aim at Emi Martínez’s goal but somehow he was still standing and time was slipping away but Spain refused to do so, so they came some more.

And then, suddenly, only this wasn’t really sudden, Pedro Porro’s deep cross found Nico Williams at the far post, he headed back, the ball dropped deep inside the Argentina penalty area, bounced on the turf and just kind of sat there: waiting, willing someone take this moment.

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