2010 Fifa World Cup final: Netherlands v Spain full time
Netherlands 0 Spain 1
Spain have won the World Cup for the first time after Andres Iniesta hit a 116th minute winner at Johannesburg's Soccer City, as a 10-man Netherlands were beaten.
Barcelona midfielder Iniesta rifled an effort past goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg with just four minutes of extra time remaining, following good work from Spanish substitutes Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas.
Earlier in what had been a bad tempered game, Arjen Robben missed a golden opportunity when one-on-one with Iker Casillas, while David Villa saw his close range effort blocked by John Heitinga.
Dutch defender Heitinga was sent off 10 minutes before the end of extra time for hauling down Iniesta, who would go on to have the crowning moment.
Spain's victory follows on from their Euro 2008 success, and is a just reward after they played the best football of a tough tackling final.
The Dutch were lucky to only have one man sent off, but that will be of little concern to Spain, who will be celebrating tonight.
The Spanish started on top, and Stekelenburg was required to pull off an excellent save low to his right to deny Sergio Ramos, who had powerfully headed a Xavi free kick goalwards, before, at the other end, a sloppy ball from Sergio Busquets went straight to Dirk Kuyt, who shot straight at Iker Casillas from distance.
Ramos was soon on the attack again, and after fooling Kuyt, his cross-shot was cleared by Heitinga, before Xabi Alonso's superb cross was volleyed wide by Villa.
The Dutch had made a nervous start, and soon Robin van Persie was in the book for a lunge on Joan Capdevila, before Carles Puyol joined him in Howard Webb's notebook for a tackle from behind on Robben. Wesley Sneijder struck the free kick straight at Casillas.
Both Mark van Bommel and Sergio Ramos were soon in the book as Webb continued his no-nonsense, fussy approach, before Nigel De Jong was cautioned for a reckless stamp on Alonso's chest. The Manchester City midfielder was lucky to stay on the field.
Casillas was then at the centre of a bizarre incident which saw the Netherlands' attempt to return the ball to Spanish goalkeeper after a foul almost turn into a goal. Spain's captain got a fingertip to the ball as it bounced over his head, and van Persie returned the ball to him from the corner.
It was getting livelier now, and after Joris Mathijsen miscued a left footed effort in front of goal, Spain's Pedro drove wide from distance, before Robben tested Casillas with a left footed effort in first half stoppage time.
The Spanish started the second half on top, and after Puyol flicked on a corner, Capdevila completely missed his kick when well placed.
Robben hit another long range effort that Casillas dealt with comfortably, before Giovanni van Bronckhorst was booked for fouling Ramos, with Xavi curling the resultant free kick wide.
Heitinga soon became the fifth Dutchman in Webb's book for a foul on Villa, before Spain boss Vicente Del Bosque chose to replace Pedro with fellow winger Jesus Navas, it was an opposition winger who was soon to have the best chance of the match though.
Sneijder's through ball sent Robben clear, and as the Dutchman came face-to-face with his old Real Madrid team-mate Casillas, he had appeared to have sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, only for Casillas' right foot to block what had appeared to be a certain goal.
Capdevila became the latest name in the book for a foul on van Persie, before Villa missed a golden opportunity at the other end as, after Heitinga has completely miscued from Navas' cross, the Everton defender somehow recovered to block Villa's goalbound effort when the forward looked certain to score.
The disappointing Kuyt was replaced by Eljero Elia for the Dutch, before Villa curled a free kick wide and then, moments later, volleyed Navas' cross wildly wide.
Spain were dominating now, and terrific play from Xavi and Villa forced a corner from Gregory van der Weil's block, from which Ramos sent a free header over the crossbar when it looked easier to score.
Iniesta was blocked by a terrific Sneijder tackle after he had been played in by Alonso, but the Dutch threat was always going to come from Robben, and the winger raced clear of both Puyol and Gerard Pique before being snuffed out by Casillas.
Alonso was replaced by Fabregas shortly before full time, and with neither side able to produce a winner in 90 minutes, extra time was needed.
The Spanish were appealing for a penalty early in the extra period when Xavi and Heitinga collided, before Spain's best chance of the match.
Iniesta played Fabregas through, and when the Arsenal captain could have chosen to pass to Villa, he hit a left footed effort that was blocked by the legs of Stekelenburg.
Mathijsen headed a corner over at the other end, but it was the Spanish who were on top, and only superb defending from van Bronckhorst thwarted Iniesta when he'd broken through.
Rafael van der Vaart replaced de Jong in a bid to up the Netherlands' attacking output, but half the ground thought that Spain's Navas had scored when his effort was deflected off van Bronckhorst into the side netting, before a terrific run from Fabregas ended in a shot that went narrowly wide.
Dutch captain van Bronckhorst - playing his last game of professional football - was replaced by Edson Braafheid shortly before half time in extra time, when Torres replaced Villa.
The second period was only four minutes old when the Dutch were reduced to 10 men.
A quick give and go between Xavi and Iniesta saw the latter heading towards goal, and when Heitinga pulled him back, a second yellow card for the Everton defender was inevitable.
Van der Weil was booked next, and Ramos was inches away from connecting with Xavi's resultant free kick, before Sneijder's deflected effort went wide of Casillas' goal at the other end.
Spain's moment was imminent though, and a good break from Navas - with the Dutch appealing for a foul on Elia - resulted in the ball reaching Torres, whose cross reached Fabregas, and the Arsenal captain did well to pick out Iniesta. The Barcelona midfielder did the rest, and his powerful effort beat Stekelenburg to send Spain wild.
The Dutch attempted to respond but there was little time, and after Torres went down with what looked a serious injury, the Spanish were able to hold on, and at the end of extra time, they were confirmed as world champions for the first time.
No-one sleeps in Madrid tonight.
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