World Cup belongs to all of Spain, says match-winning Torres

Ferran Torres said his World Cup-winning goal for Spain on Sunday belonged to "47 million people, not just me or the 26 players".

The Barcelona forward scored in the second period of extra-time as Spain finally broke down 10-man Argentina to win 1-0 at the MetLife Stadium.

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"Ultimately, the goal belongs to 47 million people -- not just me or the 26 players," said Torres, referring to Spain's approximate population.

"It was written in the stars that we would win far away from our people, yet we made them feel as close as possible," added Torres, who was named player of the match despite coming off the bench.

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"It's a huge sense of relief. I faced a lot of criticism during the World Cup, but destiny is written. Thank God, who always gives me the strength to keep going."

He admitted it had been tough to win Spain's second World Cup to add to their first triumph in 2010.

"At the end of the day, all finals are tough. When you're up against (Lionel) Messi, there's a certain nervousness, but we always believed in our football and in ourselves."