Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 20

Ferran Torres Wears 'Make Spain Great Again' Hat After 106th-Minute World Cup Winner

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 20

Ferran Torres Wears 'Make Spain Great Again' Hat After 106th-Minute World Cup Winner

Q: Has Spain's new high-press strategy officially ended the era of tiki-taka on the world stage?

No. Spain’s World Cup win points to an evolution of tiki-taka, not its official burial. The evidence from the final and the wider tournament shows continuity as much as change. Against Argentina, Spain had 66.2% possession, completed 762 passes, and controlled the match with long spells of ball retention and positional play—core traits of the old Spanish model. At the same time, Luis de la Fuente’s team pressed far more aggressively, recovered the ball quickly, and attacked with more verticality than the 2008-2012 sides. That is why many analysts describe this Spain as “beyond tiki-taka” rather than post–tiki-taka. The searched material points to a side that still believes in control through possession, triangles and tempo, but has stripped away some of the slower, more predictable circulation. Experts cited in the coverage say Spain are playing “more vertically and much more aggressively,” with “possession in the right spaces” and a clearer attacking purpose. Their World Cup numbers support that reading. Spain conceded only one goal in eight matches, kept seven clean sheets, ranked among the best teams for high turnovers and pressing metrics, and used the press as the starting point of their defense. De la Fuente himself has framed the approach that way. So the world stage has not seen tiki-taka replaced so much as modernized. Spain’s title suggests the old philosophy still works when fused with high pressing, faster transitions and greater directness.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 20

Ferran Torres appeared shirtless in a 'Make Spain Great Again' hat during Spain's victory parade in Madrid, adding a Trump-style slogan to celebrations after the team's World Cup triumph.
The 26-year-old forward had sealed Spain's 1-0 win over Argentina with the decisive goal in the 106th minute at New York New Jersey Stadium, preventing the final from going to penalties.
Donald Trump had presented the trophy to Spain captain Rodri and the squad after attending the final with Melania Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, giving the hat an added political echo.
Spain's second men's World Cup title — and first since 2010 — drew tens of thousands into Madrid after the team returned home to a hero's welcome.