Spain player ratings vs Argentina: Rodri and Pau Cubarsí set the standard

Spain won the World Cup final 1-0 in extra time, but the ratings story sits with the players who controlled it for long stretches before Ferran Torres finished it in the 106th minute. Rodri was Spain's best statistical performer, Pau Cubarsí kept the back line steady, and Nico Williams changed the game after coming off the bench.

Rodri and Cubarsí carried Spain's control

Rodri's 8.2 rating was backed by 106 passes and 4 tackles, which fits the way Spain kept possession and limited Argentina. That was not a flashy final from him, just a controlled one. Cubarsí's 7.3 rating came with 126 passes and 7 duels won, and he also made the late block in front of his own net that preserved the lead.

The cleaner individual performance in defence might have been Cubarsí's, even if Rodri set the tempo from midfield. Goal.com's match reporter said Cubarsí "kept it tidy in possession" and made "a miraculous late block to seal it", while NBC Sports noted that Argentina did not attempt their first shot until the 117th minute.

Nico Williams and Ferran Torres decided the final

Williams' 7.27 rating reflects why his introduction mattered. He played 45 minutes, delivered 1 assist and 2 key passes, and the outlet assessment was blunt about his effect: he was the "spark plug off the bench" whose pace and creativity gave Spain another attacking gear.

The winning move came from that side of the pitch. Williams rose at the far post and knocked the ball down for Torres, who scored in the 106th minute. Torres' 6.69 rating is a reminder that the decisive finish did not need a dominant individual display, just the right one at the right time. Spain vs Argentina ended with Spain in control, Argentina without a shot until the 117th minute, and the ratings matching what the game looked like.