GOM World Cup Diary #40 Champions At Last!

Whatever Happened To Knowing Your Place?

There comes a point in every football tournament when one team has to stop talking about winning the World Cup…

…and actually go and win it.

Last night, Spain did exactly that.

It wasn’t easy.

It rarely is.

Argentina arrived with all the determination you’d expect from a side desperate to lift football’s greatest prize, but they also brought a little too much of the darker side of the game with them.

There were crunching tackles.

Tempers simmered.

One challenge earned a second yellow card that could quite easily have been shown as a straight red.

Then, even after the final whistle, emotions spilled over once more.

It was all a little unnecessary.

Meanwhile, Spain simply got on with playing football.

For almost the entire match they asked the questions.

Wave after wave of attacks.

Shot after shot.

Martínez produced save after save to keep Argentina alive and, for long periods, it looked as though Spain might be left wondering how they hadn’t already won it.

Football has a habit of doing that.

Dominate a game.

Miss a few chances.

Suddenly you’re looking over your shoulder wondering if you’ve tempted fate.

Then, early in extra time, Ferran Torres finally found the breakthrough.

A goal worthy of winning any World Cup Final.

At last, Spain had the lead their football deserved.

Even then, it wasn’t over.

Spain missed opportunities to put the match beyond doubt and, with every wasted chance, you could almost feel the tension rising.

Argentina sensed there might still be one last twist.

With just minutes remaining they finally began to push forward with real intent, forcing Spain deeper and deeper.

It all felt strangely familiar.

England supporters will know exactly what I mean.

But this time, Spain held their nerve.

Sometimes the hardest thing in football isn’t scoring the winning goal.

It’s believing you’ve already done enough.

Spain did.

When the final whistle finally arrived, they were worthy World Champions.

Not because they had the biggest names.

Not because they enjoyed the luckiest decisions.

But because throughout this tournament they trusted their football.

They attacked.

They stayed disciplined.

They kept believing in the way they wanted to play.

In the end, football rewarded the team that spent more time trying to play than trying to stop the opposition playing.

Then came the trophy presentation.

And it reminded me of something that has nothing to do with football.

There are moments in life that belong entirely to someone else.

Your job is to applaud.

Congratulate them.

Shake their hand.

Then quietly step aside and let them enjoy what they’ve earned.

The spotlight belongs to the people who created the moment, not those invited to witness it.

Knowing your place isn’t a weakness.

Sometimes it’s the greatest sign of respect.

Spain had waited four long weeks for that moment.

They deserved every second of it.

Congratulations to worthy World Champions.

Anyway, what do I know?

I’m just a grumpy old man.

Go on then… tell me what annoyed you about yesterday’s match