2010 FIFA World Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg
, South Africa
, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. Spain
defeated the Netherlands
1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta
four minutes from the end of extra time
. English referee Howard Webb
was selected to officiate the match, which was marked by an unusually high number of yellow cards.
Both the Netherlands and Spain were attempting to win their first FIFA World Cup. The Netherlands had been beaten in the final in 1974
and 1978
, while Spain's best performance had been fourth place in 1950
. It was the second consecutive all-European final, and marked the first time a European team has won the trophy outside Europe.
and Spain
had never met each other in the main tournament stages of either a World Cup or a European Championship
, the two major tournaments for European international teams. In all-time head-to-head results, the teams had met nine times previously since 1920, winning four games each and drawing once, in either friendlies, European Championship qualifying games, and once in the 1920 Summer Olympics
.
It was the first time since the 1978 final
that neither of the finalists had previously won the World Cup. The Netherlands were runners-up twice before, losing 2–1 to West Germany
in 1974
, and 3–1 (after extra time) to Argentina
in 1978
. Reaching the 2010 final was Spain's best performance in the World Cup, having previously finished fourth in 1950
when the tournament had a round-robin
final stage, and the quarter-finals stage in 1934
, 1986
, 1994
and 2002
, when single elimination knock-out stages featured. Spain became the 12th different country to play in a World Cup Final, and first new team since France in 1998. The Netherlands played in its third final without a win, surpassing the record it had shared with Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Overall, Germany leads with four final losses. It was the first World Cup final not to feature at least one of Brazil
, Italy
, Germany
or Argentina
. Spain became just the eighth country to win the World Cup, joining England
and France
as nations who have won it just once.
Before the match Spain had an Elo rating
of 2111 points and the Netherlands a rating of 2100 points. Thus, the finalists combined for 4211 points, by far the highest for any international football match ever played, beating the previous record of 4161 combined points for the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final
between Hungary
and West Germany.
European Football Champions, having won UEFA Euro 2008, and as the shared holders of the international football record of consecutive unbeaten games for a national team, spanning 35 matches from 2007 to 2009; they also won all 10 matches of their qualifying campaign. The Netherlands entered the World Cup having won all eight matches in their UEFA Group 9 qualifying campaign.
Once at the finals in South Africa, the Netherlands reached the knockout stage as winners of Group E
, with three wins out of three against Denmark
, Japan
and Cameroon
, conceding only one goal. In the knockout stage, they beat World Cup debutants Slovakia
, five-time champions Brazil
and two-time champions Uruguay
. The Netherlands reached the Final in a 25-match unbeaten streak since September 2008.
In Group H
, Spain recovered from a loss to Switzerland
in their opening game to beat Honduras
and then Chile
, finishing top of the group ahead of Chile on goal difference. In the knockout stage, they then beat their Iberian
neighbours Portugal
, quarter-final debutants Paraguay
and three-time World Cup winners Germany
. The semi-final was a repeat of the match up for the UEFA Euro 2008 Final
, and again saw Spain beat Germany, who were the top scorers of the 2010 tournament up to that point.
In the six games both teams played in South Africa to reach the final, the Netherlands scored a total of twelve goals and conceded five, while Spain scored seven and conceded two. Going into the final, Wesley Sneijder
of the Netherlands and David Villa
of Spain were tied as the top scorers with five goals each; Arjen Robben
of the Netherlands with two was the only other player in the finalists' squads with more than one goal in the tournament.
Final standing
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;">
Team
Spain
3
2
0
1
4
2
2
6
Chile
3
2
0
1
3
2
1
6
Switzerland
3
1
1
1
1
1
0
4
Honduras
3
0
1
2
0
3
−3
1
Opponent
Result
Knockout stage
Opponent
Result
2–1
Round of 16
1–0
2–1
Quarter-finals
1–0
3–2
Semifinals
1–0
ball used for every other match in the tournament. The name of the ball is a reference to "Jo'burg", a common nickname for Johannesburg
, the match venue. The gold colouring of the ball mirrors the colour of the FIFA World Cup Trophy
and also echoes another of Johannesburg's nicknames: "the City of Gold". The Jo'bulani is the second ball to be specifically produced for the FIFA World Cup Final, after the Teamgeist Berlin was used for the 2006 final
.
, representing The Football Association
of England. He was assisted
by fellow Englishmen Darren Cann and Mike Mullarkey. Webb was the first Englishman to referee a World Cup final since Jack Taylor
officiated the 1974 final
between the Netherlands and West Germany.
A police officer from Rotherham
, South Yorkshire
, 38-year-old Webb is one of the English Select Group Referees
, and has officiated Premier League matches since 2003. He was appointed to the FIFA list of international match referees in 2005, and before the World Cup, he had taken charge of the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final
and the 2009 FA Cup Final
.
At the 2010 World Cup, Webb refereed three games, all with Cann and Mullarkey as his assistants. In the group stage, he refereed the Spain–Switzerland and Slovakia–Italy games, and then took charge of the Brazil–Chile match in the Round of 16. In those three games, he never showed a red card or awarded a penalty
, but he did issue the second highest number of yellow cards in the tournament, an average of 5.67 bookings per game. With fourteen yellow cards in the final (one red card to John Heitinga
– twice yellow), he easily broke the previous record of six for most cards in a World Cup final, set in 1986
. Nine of these Final yellow cards came in the first 90 minutes. Webb's total of 31 yellow cards throughout the tournament came to an average of 7.75 per game.
. Spain
defeated the Netherlands
1–0, after an extra time goal by Andrés Iniesta
. The win gave Spain its first World Cup title. It was the first time since England
in 1966
that the winners of the final wore their second-choice strip.
The match had the most yellow cards awarded in a World Cup final, more than doubling the previous record for a final, set when Argentina and West Germany shared six cards in 1986. Fourteen yellow cards were awarded (nine of which to the Netherlands), and John Heitinga
of the Netherlands was sent off for a second yellow. One yellow card was for Nigel de Jong
's studs-up kick to the chest of Xabi Alonso
during the first half, for which Rob Hughes of the New York Times, among others, believed the referee should have given a red card.
The Netherlands had several chances to score, most notably in the 60th minute when Arjen Robben
was released by Wesley Sneijder
putting him one-on-one with Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas
, but Casillas pushed the shot wide with an outstretched leg. Meanwhile, for Spain, Sergio Ramos
missed a free header from a corner kick when he was unmarked. Dutch captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst
was substituted in the 105th minute by Edson Braafheid
; Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart
, who had come on as a substitute in the 99th minute for Nigel de Jong, took over as captain for the last 15 minutes. From the 109th minute on the Dutch played with 10 men due to Heitinga's second yellow card. With a penalty shootout seeming inevitable, Jesús Navas
sprinted into opposing territory and began a series of passes that led to Iniesta finally breaking the deadlock 4 minutes before the end of extra time, scoring a half-volleyed shot after receiving a pass from Cesc Fàbregas
.
Just before the goal was scored, the Dutch team had a free kick that hit the wall (apparently taking a deflection off Fàbregas) before going out. Despite the deflection, which should have given possession and a corner kick to the Dutch, a goal kick
was given to Spain, starting the play that led to the goal. The Dutch, however, momentarily had possession of the ball near the Spanish penalty area in between the goal kick and Iniesta's goal. Joris Mathijsen was yellow-carded for his strong protests to the referee after the goal, and other Dutch players criticised Webb for this decision after the match. Iniesta was yellow-carded for the removal of his team shirt when celebrating his goal. Underneath he had a white vest with the handwritten message: "Dani Jarque
siempre con nosotros" ("Dani Jarque, always with us").
As the Spanish team descended the steps onto the pitch after receiving the cup, the Dutch team applauded them from a guard of honour
.
cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-size:90%; margin:auto;">
SPAIN:
|
GK
1
Iker Casillas
(c)
RB
15
Sergio Ramos
CB
3
Gerard Piqué
CB
5
Carles Puyol
LB
11
Joan Capdevila
DM
16
Sergio Busquets
DM
14
Xabi Alonso
RW
6
Andrés Iniesta
AM
8
Xavi
LW
18
Pedro
CF
7
David Villa
Substitutions:
MF
22
Jesús Navas
MF
10
Cesc Fàbregas
FW
9
Fernando Torres
Manager:
Vicente del Bosque
publicly criticised the Dutch team in El Periódico de Catalunya
for having played "in a very dirty fashion", describing their contribution to the final as "ugly", "vulgar" and "anti-football
". He added that the Dutch should have had two players sent off early in the match, and criticised referee Howard Webb for failing to dismiss them. The Associated Press
was of the opinion that the Dutch had "turned far too often to dirty tactics".
The Dutch received nine yellow cards, compared with five yellow cards issued to Spain. Before the final, Webb was tied with Yuichi Nishimura
of Japan for issuing the highest number of yellow cards (17). After the match some Dutch players, such as Robben
, Stekelenburg, Van Persie
, Kuyt
and Sneijder
, accused Webb of favouring the Spaniards, while in Switzerland's earlier defeat of Spain, Spain supporters accused Webb of favouring Switzerland. Other critics noted poor and missed calls on both teams. By the end of the tournament, the Dutch team had earned 22 yellow cards in its seven games, while Spain had earned only 8 (the lowest of the four finalists, with Germany and Uruguay having earned 13 each). Spain was awarded FIFA's Fair Play award after the final.
Some English commentators, such as Sam Wallace
, Graham Poll
and Dermot Gallagher
, have defended Webb. FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted Webb had a "very hard task" in the match. Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong
stated that Webb, whom he knows from the Premier League, is not a bad referee, and admitted he was lucky not to have received a red card for his high challenge. Webb himself said, in a subsequent interview:
The Dutch team was welcomed back to Amsterdam by an estimated 200,000 supporters lining the banks of the canals, and team captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst
and coach Bert van Marwijk
were named Knights in the Order of Oranje-Nassau by Dutch Queen Beatrix. Further, there were also reports that noted the play-acting and fouls by some of the Spanish players. Renowned German footballer Franz Beckenbauer
criticised both teams and Webb saying that the match was "lacking flow, [with] constant protests from the players and a referee who didn't have too much of an overview." There was negative and positive criticism following Spain's ball possession strategy in the World Cup final. While some maintained that it was effective, but "boring", others claimed it was "beautiful".
In the Netherlands, 12.2 million people watched the final on television, which is 74% of the total population of the country. It is the best viewed television programme ever in the Netherlands.
In United States, World Cup television viewership rose 41 percent over 2006 final for English-language telecasts, with the final setting a record for a men's football game. The final in Johannesburg, which gave the Spanish their first World Cup title, was seen by 15,545,000 viewers on ABC
, according to fast national ratings. The previous high was 14,863,000 viewers for the United States' 2–1 extra time loss to Ghana in the second round on 26 June. An additional 8.821 million viewers watched Spanish-language coverage on Univision
, according to Nielsen Media Research, bringing the total to nearly 24.4 million.
The final received an 8.1 rating on ABC, up 6 percent from the 7.7 for Italy's penalty-kicks win over France in the 2006 final. This was the fourth-highest rating for a men's World Cup game behind Brazil's penalty-kicks victory over Italy in the 1994 final at the Rose Bowl (9.5), Brazil's second-round victory over the U.S. in 1994 (9.3) and Ghana-U.S. match in 2010 (8.5).
Viewership for the final on Univision was up 49 percent from 5,903,000 for 2006. It was the third most-watched program on U.S. Spanish-language TV, trailing Argentina's win over Mexico on June 27 (9,405,000) and the finale of the novella "Destilando Amor (Essence of Love)" on Dec. 3, 2007 (9,018,000).
In Canada, coverage of the final brought in unprecedented numbers of viewers. It attracted an average audience of 5.131 million to the CBC
, with a peak of 7.664 million, according to BBM overnight measurements. Radio-Canada
television drew 685,000 in French for a combined 5.816 million watchers, a number 105 per cent higher than the English and French broadcasts of the 2006 final brought in.
and Spanish
Royal Families. South African dignitaries and celebrities attending included Charlize Theron
(actress), and Jacob Zuma
(President of South Africa
), while Nelson Mandela
(former President of South Africa) made a brief appearance before the match wheeled in by motorcart. Spaniards Plácido Domingo
, Rafael Nadal
(tennis player) and Pau Gasol
(basketball player) were in attendance to cheer on their team. Other international celebrities to attend the match included American actor Morgan Freeman
(who played Mandela in the 2009 film
Invictus
).
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
defeated the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
four minutes from the end of extra time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. English referee Howard Webb
Howard Webb
Howard Melton Webb, MBE, is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005....
was selected to officiate the match, which was marked by an unusually high number of yellow cards.
Both the Netherlands and Spain were attempting to win their first FIFA World Cup. The Netherlands had been beaten in the final in 1974
1974 FIFA World Cup Final
-References:...
and 1978
1978 FIFA World Cup Final
The Final of the 1978 FIFA World Cup was contested between hosts Argentina and The Netherlands. The match was won by the Argentines in extra time by a score of 3–1. Mario Kempes, who finished as the tournament's top scorer, was named the man of the match...
, while Spain's best performance had been fourth place in 1950
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
. It was the second consecutive all-European final, and marked the first time a European team has won the trophy outside Europe.
Finalists
Prior to this game, the NetherlandsNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
had never met each other in the main tournament stages of either a World Cup or a European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
, the two major tournaments for European international teams. In all-time head-to-head results, the teams had met nine times previously since 1920, winning four games each and drawing once, in either friendlies, European Championship qualifying games, and once in the 1920 Summer Olympics
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
.
It was the first time since the 1978 final
1978 FIFA World Cup Final
The Final of the 1978 FIFA World Cup was contested between hosts Argentina and The Netherlands. The match was won by the Argentines in extra time by a score of 3–1. Mario Kempes, who finished as the tournament's top scorer, was named the man of the match...
that neither of the finalists had previously won the World Cup. The Netherlands were runners-up twice before, losing 2–1 to West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in 1974
1974 FIFA World Cup Final
-References:...
, and 3–1 (after extra time) to Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in 1978
1978 FIFA World Cup Final
The Final of the 1978 FIFA World Cup was contested between hosts Argentina and The Netherlands. The match was won by the Argentines in extra time by a score of 3–1. Mario Kempes, who finished as the tournament's top scorer, was named the man of the match...
. Reaching the 2010 final was Spain's best performance in the World Cup, having previously finished fourth in 1950
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
when the tournament had a round-robin
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
final stage, and the quarter-finals stage in 1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
, 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
, 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
and 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, when single elimination knock-out stages featured. Spain became the 12th different country to play in a World Cup Final, and first new team since France in 1998. The Netherlands played in its third final without a win, surpassing the record it had shared with Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Overall, Germany leads with four final losses. It was the first World Cup final not to feature at least one of Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
or Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. Spain became just the eighth country to win the World Cup, joining England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
as nations who have won it just once.
Before the match Spain had an Elo rating
World Football Elo Ratings
The World Football Elo Ratings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football. The method used to rank teams is based upon the Elo rating system method but modified to take various football-specific variables into account...
of 2111 points and the Netherlands a rating of 2100 points. Thus, the finalists combined for 4211 points, by far the highest for any international football match ever played, beating the previous record of 4161 combined points for the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final
1954 FIFA World Cup Final
- External links :* - fifa.com, FIFA, 2002.*...
between Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and West Germany.
Route to the final
Spain entered the 2010 World Cup as the reigning UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
European Football Champions, having won UEFA Euro 2008, and as the shared holders of the international football record of consecutive unbeaten games for a national team, spanning 35 matches from 2007 to 2009; they also won all 10 matches of their qualifying campaign. The Netherlands entered the World Cup having won all eight matches in their UEFA Group 9 qualifying campaign.
Once at the finals in South Africa, the Netherlands reached the knockout stage as winners of Group E
2010 FIFA World Cup Group E
Group E of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 14 June and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of the Netherlands, Denmark, Japan and Cameroon. None of these teams have previously met in a World Cup group stage....
, with three wins out of three against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
and Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
, conceding only one goal. In the knockout stage, they beat World Cup debutants Slovakia
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
, five-time champions Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
and two-time champions Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. The Netherlands reached the Final in a 25-match unbeaten streak since September 2008.
In Group H
2010 FIFA World Cup Group H
Group H of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 16 June and ended on 25 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning European champions Spain, Switzerland, Honduras and Chile....
, Spain recovered from a loss to Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
in their opening game to beat Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
and then Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
, finishing top of the group ahead of Chile on goal difference. In the knockout stage, they then beat their Iberian
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
neighbours Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, quarter-final debutants Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and three-time World Cup winners Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. The semi-final was a repeat of the match up for the UEFA Euro 2008 Final
UEFA Euro 2008 Final
The UEFA Euro 2008 Final was a football match that took place on 29 June 2008 at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Austria, to determine the winner of the UEFA Euro 2008. Spain defeated Germany 1–0 with a goal from Fernando Torres...
, and again saw Spain beat Germany, who were the top scorers of the 2010 tournament up to that point.
In the six games both teams played in South Africa to reach the final, the Netherlands scored a total of twelve goals and conceded five, while Spain scored seven and conceded two. Going into the final, Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
of the Netherlands and David Villa
David Villa
David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
of Spain were tied as the top scorers with five goals each; Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
of the Netherlands with two was the only other player in the finalists' squads with more than one goal in the tournament.
| Netherlands | Round | Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2–0 | Match 1 | 0–1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1–0 | Match 2 | 2–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2–1 | Match 3 | 2–1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands Netherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan Japan national football team The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan... |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denmark Denmark national football team The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU... |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cameroon Cameroon national football team The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any... |
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Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was the second and final stage of the World Cup, following the group stage. It began on 26 June with the round of 16 matches, and ended on 11 July with the final match of the tournament held at Soccer City, Johannesburg, in which Spain beat the...
Match ball
The match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, revealed on 20 April 2010, was the Jo'bulani, a gold version of the Adidas JabulaniAdidas Jabulani
The Jabulani is an Association football ball manufactured by Adidas. It was the official match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.The ball is made from eight spherically molded panels and has a textured surface intended to improve aerodynamics...
ball used for every other match in the tournament. The name of the ball is a reference to "Jo'burg", a common nickname for Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, the match venue. The gold colouring of the ball mirrors the colour of the FIFA World Cup Trophy
FIFA World Cup Trophy
The World Cup is a gold trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. Since the advent of the World Cup in 1930, two trophies have represented victory: the Jules Rimet Trophy from 1930 to 1970, and the FIFA World Cup Trophy from 1974 to the present day.The trophy, originally named...
and also echoes another of Johannesburg's nicknames: "the City of Gold". The Jo'bulani is the second ball to be specifically produced for the FIFA World Cup Final, after the Teamgeist Berlin was used for the 2006 final
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
.
Squads
At the time of the final, all but three members of the Spanish squad played for clubs in Spain; the other three were based in England. The Netherlands squad drew its players from clubs in five European countries, with just nine based in the Netherlands; six played in Germany, five in England, two in Italy and one in Spain.Match officials
The referee for the final was Howard WebbHoward Webb
Howard Melton Webb, MBE, is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005....
, representing The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
of England. He was assisted
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
by fellow Englishmen Darren Cann and Mike Mullarkey. Webb was the first Englishman to referee a World Cup final since Jack Taylor
Jack Taylor (referee)
John Keith "Jack" Taylor is an English former football referee, famous for officiating in the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final where he awarded two penalties during the first 30 minutes.-Refereeing career:...
officiated the 1974 final
1974 FIFA World Cup Final
-References:...
between the Netherlands and West Germany.
A police officer from Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, 38-year-old Webb is one of the English Select Group Referees
Select Group Referees
The Select Group is a panel of professional football referees appointed by the Professional Game Match Officials Board to officiate matches in the Premier League, as well as the Football League, FA Cup and Football League Cup...
, and has officiated Premier League matches since 2003. He was appointed to the FIFA list of international match referees in 2005, and before the World Cup, he had taken charge of the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final
2010 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...
and the 2009 FA Cup Final
2009 FA Cup Final
The 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
.
At the 2010 World Cup, Webb refereed three games, all with Cann and Mullarkey as his assistants. In the group stage, he refereed the Spain–Switzerland and Slovakia–Italy games, and then took charge of the Brazil–Chile match in the Round of 16. In those three games, he never showed a red card or awarded a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
, but he did issue the second highest number of yellow cards in the tournament, an average of 5.67 bookings per game. With fourteen yellow cards in the final (one red card to John Heitinga
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented...
– twice yellow), he easily broke the previous record of six for most cards in a World Cup final, set in 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup Final
- External links :**...
. Nine of these Final yellow cards came in the first 90 minutes. Webb's total of 31 yellow cards throughout the tournament came to an average of 7.75 per game.
Summary
The final was played on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City, JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
defeated the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
1–0, after an extra time goal by Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
. The win gave Spain its first World Cup title. It was the first time since England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in 1966
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
that the winners of the final wore their second-choice strip.
The match had the most yellow cards awarded in a World Cup final, more than doubling the previous record for a final, set when Argentina and West Germany shared six cards in 1986. Fourteen yellow cards were awarded (nine of which to the Netherlands), and John Heitinga
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented...
of the Netherlands was sent off for a second yellow. One yellow card was for Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team....
's studs-up kick to the chest of Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
during the first half, for which Rob Hughes of the New York Times, among others, believed the referee should have given a red card.
The Netherlands had several chances to score, most notably in the 60th minute when Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
was released by Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
putting him one-on-one with Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas
Íker Casillas
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
, but Casillas pushed the shot wide with an outstretched leg. Meanwhile, for Spain, Sergio Ramos
Sérgio Ramos
Sérgio Bruno Antunes Selores Ramos is a Portuguese basketball player.He measures 2.00 metres and plays as a Forward . He announced the end of his international career, after Portugal's exit from the EuroBasket 2007...
missed a free header from a corner kick when he was unmarked. Dutch captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement....
was substituted in the 105th minute by Edson Braafheid
Edson Braafheid
Edson René Braafheid is a Surinamese-born Dutch footballer who currently plays as a left back for German Bundesliga club 1899 Hoffenheim.- Utrecht :Braafheid began his professional career at FC Utrecht in 2003 and made 81 appearances for the side....
; Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker...
, who had come on as a substitute in the 99th minute for Nigel de Jong, took over as captain for the last 15 minutes. From the 109th minute on the Dutch played with 10 men due to Heitinga's second yellow card. With a penalty shootout seeming inevitable, Jesús Navas
Jesús Navas
Jesús Navas González is a Spanish footballer who plays for Sevilla FC in La Liga.A right winger who can play on the left flank on occasion, his main assets are his quick feet which also allow him to be very good at dribbling and an ability to run at opposing defenders.-Club career:Navas joined...
sprinted into opposing territory and began a series of passes that led to Iniesta finally breaking the deadlock 4 minutes before the end of extra time, scoring a half-volleyed shot after receiving a pass from Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
.
Just before the goal was scored, the Dutch team had a free kick that hit the wall (apparently taking a deflection off Fàbregas) before going out. Despite the deflection, which should have given possession and a corner kick to the Dutch, a goal kick
Goal kick
A goal kick, called a goalie kick in some regions,is a method of restarting play in a game of association football.-Award:A goal kick is awarded to the defending team when the ball goes out of the field of play by crossing the goal line when the last person to touch the ball was from the attacking...
was given to Spain, starting the play that led to the goal. The Dutch, however, momentarily had possession of the ball near the Spanish penalty area in between the goal kick and Iniesta's goal. Joris Mathijsen was yellow-carded for his strong protests to the referee after the goal, and other Dutch players criticised Webb for this decision after the match. Iniesta was yellow-carded for the removal of his team shirt when celebrating his goal. Underneath he had a white vest with the handwritten message: "Dani Jarque
Daniel Jarque
Daniel Jarque i González was a Spanish footballer who played as a central defender.Jarque played his entire career with Espanyol, and was named team captain one month before his death from a heart attack, at the age of 26....
siempre con nosotros" ("Dani Jarque, always with us").
As the Spanish team descended the steps onto the pitch after receiving the cup, the Dutch team applauded them from a guard of honour
Guard of honour
A guard of honour is a ceremonial event practice in military and sports as a mark of respect.-Military:In the military a guard of honour is a ceremonial practice to honour visiting foreign dignitaries, or the fallen in war, or a ceremony for public figures who have died.The commander is three paces...
.
Details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> |  NETHERLANDS: |
|||
| GK | 1 | Maarten Stekelenburg | ||
| RB | 2 | Gregory van der Wiel Gregory van der Wiel Gregory Kurtley van der Wiel is a Dutch international footballer who plays professionally for Ajax, as a right back.Born in Amsterdam to a father from Curaçao and a white Dutch mother, he is a product of the renowned Ajax youth system, who plays an attacking right back and is known for his speedy... |
||
| CB | 3 | John Heitinga John Heitinga John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented... |
||
| CB | 4 | Joris Mathijsen | ||
| LB | 5 | Giovanni van Bronckhorst Giovanni van Bronckhorst Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement.... (c) |
||
| DM | 6 | Mark van Bommel Mark van Bommel Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder.... |
||
| DM | 8 | Nigel de Jong Nigel de Jong Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team.... |
||
| RW | 11 | Arjen Robben Arjen Robben Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills... |
||
| AM | 10 | Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA.... |
||
| LW | 7 | Dirk Kuyt Dirk Kuyt Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.... |
||
| CF | 9 | Robin van Persie Robin van Persie Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011... |
||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 17 | Eljero Elia Eljero Elia Eljero George Rinaldo Elia is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Juventus and the Dutch national team. He scored on his debut for the Dutch national team in September 2009 and participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.-ADO Den Haag:Before excelling in the... |
||
| MF | 23 | Rafael van der Vaart Rafael van der Vaart Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker... |
||
| DF | 15 | Edson Braafheid Edson Braafheid Edson René Braafheid is a Surinamese-born Dutch footballer who currently plays as a left back for German Bundesliga club 1899 Hoffenheim.- Utrecht :Braafheid began his professional career at FC Utrecht in 2003 and made 81 appearances for the side.... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Bert van Marwijk Bert van Marwijk Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time... |
||||
SPAIN:
Íker Casillas
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
(c)
Sérgio Ramos
Sérgio Bruno Antunes Selores Ramos is a Portuguese basketball player.He measures 2.00 metres and plays as a Forward . He announced the end of his international career, after Portugal's exit from the EuroBasket 2007...
Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué i Bernabeu is a Spanish footballer, currently playing as a central defender for FC Barcelona.A product of Barça's cantera, he initially left the club for Manchester United in 2004, where he remained for four years, before returning to Barça under Josep Guardiola's leadership, helping...
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol i Saforcada is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.Mainly a central defender, he can also play on either flank, especially as a right back...
Joan Capdevila
Joan Capdevila i Méndez is a Spanish footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, and the Spanish national team.His usual position is left defender, but he is also capable of operating as a winger and, from a defensive position, often contributes with goals...
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
Xavi
Xavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career....
Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma
Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma , commonly known as Pedro or Pedrito, is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, as a forward or winger....
David Villa
David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
Jesús Navas
Jesús Navas González is a Spanish footballer who plays for Sevilla FC in La Liga.A right winger who can play on the left flank on occasion, his main assets are his quick feet which also allow him to be very good at dribbling and an ability to run at opposing defenders.-Club career:Navas joined...
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
Vicente Del Bosque
Vicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
Man of the Match: Andrés Iniesta Andrés Iniesta Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team.... (Spain) Assistant referees Assistant referee (association football) In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee... : Darren Cann (England The Football Association The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association... ) Mike Mullarkey (England The Football Association The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association... ) Fourth official: Yuichi Nishimura Yuichi Nishimura is a Japanese football referee who has been a full international referee for FIFA.He was the only Asian referee and one of three judges selected to judge in 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana along with assistant referees Toru Sagara from Japan and Jeong Hae-Sang from South Korea. He was also a... (Japan Japan Football Association The Japan Football Association, sometimes known as the Japan Soccer Association , is the governing body responsible for the administration of association football in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions.... ) Fifth official: Toru Sagara (Japan Japan Football Association The Japan Football Association, sometimes known as the Japan Soccer Association , is the governing body responsible for the administration of association football in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions.... ) |
Match rules:
|
Statistics
Overall| Netherlands | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 0 | 1 |
| Total shots | 13 | 18 |
| Shots on target | 5 | 8 |
| Ball possession | 43% | 57% |
| Corner kicks | 6 | 8 |
| Fouls committed | 28 | 18 |
| Offsides | 7 | 6 |
| Yellow cards | 8 | 5 |
| Second yellow card & red card | 1 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
Reaction
The day after the final, Johan CruyffJohan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
publicly criticised the Dutch team in El Periódico de Catalunya
El Periódico de Catalunya
El Periódico de Catalunya is a morning daily newspaper based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and owned by Grupo Zeta. El Periódico is actually two newspapers, publishing separate editions in Spanish and in Catalan...
for having played "in a very dirty fashion", describing their contribution to the final as "ugly", "vulgar" and "anti-football
Anti-football
"Anti-football" is a term used to describe an extremely defensive or robust style of play of football where one team deploys their whole team, except the striker, behind the ball. In doing so, they try their best to stop the opposition from scoring, rather than trying to win the game themselves. A...
". He added that the Dutch should have had two players sent off early in the match, and criticised referee Howard Webb for failing to dismiss them. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
was of the opinion that the Dutch had "turned far too often to dirty tactics".
The Dutch received nine yellow cards, compared with five yellow cards issued to Spain. Before the final, Webb was tied with Yuichi Nishimura
Yuichi Nishimura
is a Japanese football referee who has been a full international referee for FIFA.He was the only Asian referee and one of three judges selected to judge in 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana along with assistant referees Toru Sagara from Japan and Jeong Hae-Sang from South Korea. He was also a...
of Japan for issuing the highest number of yellow cards (17). After the match some Dutch players, such as Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
, Stekelenburg, Van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
, Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
and Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
, accused Webb of favouring the Spaniards, while in Switzerland's earlier defeat of Spain, Spain supporters accused Webb of favouring Switzerland. Other critics noted poor and missed calls on both teams. By the end of the tournament, the Dutch team had earned 22 yellow cards in its seven games, while Spain had earned only 8 (the lowest of the four finalists, with Germany and Uruguay having earned 13 each). Spain was awarded FIFA's Fair Play award after the final.
Some English commentators, such as Sam Wallace
Sam Wallace
Samuel Kip Wallace is a New Zealand actor, born in Howick, Auckland.- Early years :Sam's first big break came when filming The Ugly, a New Zealand film when he was aged 14. He attended Westlake Boys High School, where he was involved with Basketball...
, Graham Poll
Graham Poll
Graham Poll is an English former football referee in the Premier League and is considered the best English referee of the last 25 years in a list maintained by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics...
and Dermot Gallagher
Dermot Gallagher
Dermot J. Gallagher is a retired English-based association football referee, who lives in Banbury, Oxfordshire. He refereed in the Premier League of English football until May 2007.-Career:...
, have defended Webb. FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted Webb had a "very hard task" in the match. Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team....
stated that Webb, whom he knows from the Premier League, is not a bad referee, and admitted he was lucky not to have received a red card for his high challenge. Webb himself said, in a subsequent interview:
The Dutch team was welcomed back to Amsterdam by an estimated 200,000 supporters lining the banks of the canals, and team captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement....
and coach Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
were named Knights in the Order of Oranje-Nassau by Dutch Queen Beatrix. Further, there were also reports that noted the play-acting and fouls by some of the Spanish players. Renowned German footballer Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
criticised both teams and Webb saying that the match was "lacking flow, [with] constant protests from the players and a referee who didn't have too much of an overview." There was negative and positive criticism following Spain's ball possession strategy in the World Cup final. While some maintained that it was effective, but "boring", others claimed it was "beautiful".
Broadcasting
In Spain, the final attracted 15.6 million total Spanish viewers across three networks, which represents 86% share of the audience, becoming the highest rated TV broadcast in Spanish history. Spain’s previous record was set by the Euro 2008 quarter-final penalty shootout between Spain and Italy, which drew 14.1 million viewers.In the Netherlands, 12.2 million people watched the final on television, which is 74% of the total population of the country. It is the best viewed television programme ever in the Netherlands.
In United States, World Cup television viewership rose 41 percent over 2006 final for English-language telecasts, with the final setting a record for a men's football game. The final in Johannesburg, which gave the Spanish their first World Cup title, was seen by 15,545,000 viewers on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, according to fast national ratings. The previous high was 14,863,000 viewers for the United States' 2–1 extra time loss to Ghana in the second round on 26 June. An additional 8.821 million viewers watched Spanish-language coverage on Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
, according to Nielsen Media Research, bringing the total to nearly 24.4 million.
The final received an 8.1 rating on ABC, up 6 percent from the 7.7 for Italy's penalty-kicks win over France in the 2006 final. This was the fourth-highest rating for a men's World Cup game behind Brazil's penalty-kicks victory over Italy in the 1994 final at the Rose Bowl (9.5), Brazil's second-round victory over the U.S. in 1994 (9.3) and Ghana-U.S. match in 2010 (8.5).
Viewership for the final on Univision was up 49 percent from 5,903,000 for 2006. It was the third most-watched program on U.S. Spanish-language TV, trailing Argentina's win over Mexico on June 27 (9,405,000) and the finale of the novella "Destilando Amor (Essence of Love)" on Dec. 3, 2007 (9,018,000).
In Canada, coverage of the final brought in unprecedented numbers of viewers. It attracted an average audience of 5.131 million to the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, with a peak of 7.664 million, according to BBM overnight measurements. Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
television drew 685,000 in French for a combined 5.816 million watchers, a number 105 per cent higher than the English and French broadcasts of the 2006 final brought in.
Notable spectators
The match was attended by members of both the DutchMonarchy of the Netherlands
The Netherlands has been an independent monarchy since 16 March 1815, and has been governed by members of the House of Orange-Nassau since.-Constitutional role and position of the monarch:...
and Spanish
Spanish Royal Family
The Royal Family of the Kingdom of Spain consists of the current king, Juan Carlos, his spouse, Queen Sofia of Spain and their direct descendants. The Spanish royal family belongs to the House of Borbón...
Royal Families. South African dignitaries and celebrities attending included Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
(actress), and Jacob Zuma
Jacob Zuma
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....
(President of South Africa
President of South Africa
The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
), while Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
(former President of South Africa) made a brief appearance before the match wheeled in by motorcart. Spaniards Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
(tennis player) and Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
(basketball player) were in attendance to cheer on their team. Other international celebrities to attend the match included American actor Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
(who played Mandela in the 2009 film
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
Invictus
Invictus (film)
Invictus is a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.The story is based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation about the events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World...
).
See also
- PaulPaul the OctopusPaul the Octopus was a common octopus from Weymouth, England. Paul lived in a tank at a commercial attraction, the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany and became internationally famous after his feeding behaviour was used to correctly predict the winner of each of the Germany national football...
, an octopus in the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany, that correctly predicted the outcome of every match Germany played, as well as the final between Spain and the Netherlands.