Torres: The goal was for 47 million people

East Rutherford – AFP – Fernando Torres, the scorer of the goal that secured Spain’s World Cup title with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina, said his goal was “for 47 million people, not for me or the 26 players.”

He said: “It was written in the stars that we would win away from our fans, but we made them feel as close to us as possible.”

Torres, who was named man of the match despite coming on as a substitute, added: “I faced a lot of criticism during the World Cup, but it was written in the stars, and thanks be to God for always giving me the strength to keep going.”

The striker acknowledged the difficulty of winning the final to add a second star to the La Roja shirt. He said: “All finals are difficult. When Lionel Messi is on the opposing team, you feel that tension, but we always trusted in the football we play and in ourselves.”