2010 World Cup final: Iniesta's extra-time goal for Spain

On 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, Spain won their first World Cup with a 1-0 extra-time win over the Netherlands. Andrés Iniesta scored the decisive goal in the 116th minute, soon after receiving a pass from Cesc Fàbregas.

A rugged final

The match was physical and fractious — referee Howard Webb showed 14 yellow cards, a record for a World Cup final. Nigel de Jong’s chest-high challenge on Xabi Alonso summed up the ferocity.

Spain’s achievement

Spain became the first European nation to win a World Cup staged outside Europe, capping a golden era that also included Euro 2008 and Euro 2012.

Why it’s iconic

Iniesta’s goal, celebrated with a shirt tribute to his late friend Dani Jarque, ended Spain’s long wait and completed the most dominant four-year run in the country’s history.

Sources

• Wikipedia — 2010 FIFA World Cup final: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_final
• FIFA — 2010 World Cup: https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/southafrica2010