Spain became world champion, and they truly deserved it. There was an attempt to engineer a championship win for Argentina with FIFA’s backing; the entire narrative was built around Argentina winning the title and Messi becoming the top scorer. This was the prevailing belief worldwide, which is why the globe tuned in hoping Spain would defeat Argentina—some through prayer, others simply by wishing them well.
As for the match itself, Argentina played a game defined by aggression, focusing more on stifling the opponent than on playing football themselves. They committed constant fouls, choosing to disrupt play rather than engage in it.
The referee was overly lenient. Spain dominated the match, effectively playing a one-sided game for the full ninety minutes; they were the rightful winners.
As for Messi, he was a footballer who inspired both intense admiration and deep loathing—a player who combined immense talent with unpleasantness and arrogance. He was successful because his Argentine teammates worked in unison to facilitate his success; the team was built entirely around him, meaning that without Messi, Argentina essentially ceased to function. This match demonstrated that if Messi is contained and denied open space, his chances of success are slim. Spain successfully neutralized him in the first half, preventing him from getting on the ball; consequently, he was a non-factor for much of the match. He only surfaced during stoppage time, by which point Spain had already dropped back to defend their 1-0 lead.
Due to the FIFA scandal, Argentina had become a national team reviled by the world, and their defeat sparked a massive global celebration.