Spain
Unai Simón Reacted swiftly to deal with the danger following Cubarsí’s early mistake. Otherwise had a very comfortable evening. 7
Pedro Porro Shows no traces of someone who was fighting the drop just a few weeks back. Delivered another exceptional performance. 8
Pau Cubarsí Recovered well from his initial slip and was flawless thereafter. Remarkable composure for a player still only 19 years of age. 8
Aymeric Laporte Offered a calming influence in defence. Nearly became the match-winner in regular time had his header been directed either side of the goalkeeper. 7
Marc Cucurella Gave his absolute all, as he always does. Had the freedom to push forward whenever the opportunity arose. 8
Rodri The reigning Ballon d’Or recipient appears to have regained his dominant form. Controlled the midfield with his trademark authority. 9
Dani Olmo Central to nearly every promising Spanish attack. Crafted a delightful flick to tee up Lamine Yamal for an early opening. 8
Fabián Ruiz A highly intelligent footballer who discovers pockets of space others cannot. Slightly puzzling to see him withdrawn so early. 7
Lamine Yamal Seemed intent on making his mark on the contest. The successor to Messi’s legacy is now a world champion. 8
Álex Baena Usually adds genuine creativity from the left side, but endured a relatively subdued outing by his own measure. 6
Mikel Oyazarbal Did the unglamorous work with relentless running before being substituted around the hour mark. 7
Substitutes: Ferran Torres (for Oyazarbal 62) Spurned an excellent opportunity shortly after entering the fray, then wrote his name into folklore with an exquisite strike in extra time, 8; Pedri (for Ruiz 62) A remarkable talent to have in reserve – seamlessly picked up where Rodri left things, 8; Nico Williams (for Baena 75) Brought a surge of intensity. Unfortunate to see a goal chalked off, but his assist for Torres was a moment of brilliance, 9; Mikel Merino (for Olmo 75) Came agonisingly close to repeating his late heroics from previous matches against Portugal and in domestic action, 7; Eric García (for Laporte 99) Had a couple of nervy moments but ultimately helped his side over the finish line, 6; Martín Zubimendi (for Rodri 99) Introduced a layer of composure amid the tension of extra time, 7.
Argentina
Emiliano Martínez Once again rose to the occasion on the grandest stage. Made three outstanding saves yet could do nothing to prevent the decisive goal. 8
Gonzalo Montiel Covered the turf rapidly to execute a vital last-ditch tackle that stopped Cucurella before being taken off. 6
Cristian Romero The centre-back was forced out through injury following a typically combative shift and his absence was keenly felt. 8
Lisandro Martínez Received a caution for bringing down Oyarzabal and sustained an injury in the same incident, cutting his afternoon short. 6
Nicolás Tagliafico Had great difficulty dealing with Lamine Yamal and too frequently dribbled himself into problematic situations. 5
Rodrigo De Paul Showed scant evidence of his offensive capabilities as Spain controlled possession; eventually made way for Simeone. 5
Alexis Mac Allister Was fortunate to escape punishment for a dreadful early tackle on Olmo. Produced some unusually wayward passing at times. 5
Enzo Fernández Far from his best performance. Deservedly dismissed after crashing into Cubarsí to earn a foolish second yellow card. 3
Nicolás González Handed a starting role after an impressive substitute display against England in the semi-final, but failed to influence the match this time around. 5
Julián Álvarez Hardly had a touch in the opening 45 minutes. Simply could not find a way into the contest and was withdrawn following Fernández’s sending-off. 5
Lionel Messi Not the dream farewell he would have imagined. He cannot be relied upon to rescue Argentina indefinitely. 6
Substitutes: Nicolás Otamendi (for Lisandro Martínez 44) Has never been blessed with speed and that deficiency is more pronounced now at 38, 5. Leandro Paredes (for González ht) Introduced to offer more steel in midfield but could not halt the tide. Let himself down with his conduct after the final whistle and received a red card, 6; Nahuel Molina (for Montiel 58) Powerless to contain a rampant Williams when he entered the action, 5; Facundo Medina (for Romero 70) Appeared highly exposed against the pace of Torres, 5; Giuliano Simeone (for De Paul 70) Resorted to every trick in the book to run down the clock. Should focus more on his football. Squandered the best chance to level the scores, 4; Marcos Senesi (for Álvarez 102) Attempted to steady the defensive line but it was a formidable challenge with the team reduced to 10 men, 5.
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