00:00Spain are champions of the world once again.
00:0214 years after their last appearance in a World Cup final,
00:05the Spanish have lifted the trophy after a hard-fought but well-deserved 1-0 victory
00:10over defending champions Argentina.
00:13Spain dominating the match, eventually scoring in the 106th minute
00:17when substitute Ferran Torres finally broke the deadlock in the game.
00:23It was truly a victory for a worthy champion.
00:27What does that mean?
00:28Joining me now is the one and only Baichung Bhutia,
00:31one of India's star footballers from yesteryears.
00:34Baichung, good to have you.
00:35You almost got your prediction right.
00:37You had said to me a week ago you fancied Spain to win the Cup,
00:41although your heart was with England,
00:43who ended up losing to Argentina in the semis.
00:47What made this Spanish team so special according to you, Baichung?
00:54Yes, I think Razdeep, we bit.
00:56I think just one wrong prediction went wrong.
01:01I think almost 90% was right.
01:04I had actually hoped England to go into finals.
01:07In fact, I think England could have given a better final than Argentina against Spain today morning.
01:13But yes, I think if you look at Spain throughout this tournament, it's been outstanding.
01:17They played some of the best teams, Portugal, they beat France and then went on to beat Argentina.
01:23I think it's a complete teamwork.
01:25I think football, we all know that it's a team sport and it's the team performance that really takes you
01:30to win the tournament.
01:31And Spain has shown that.
01:32I think a lot of the teams, France, depended a lot on Mbappé and Dembele.
01:37Argentina completely rode on Messi's performance to take them to the finals.
01:42But I think Spain showed that.
01:43I think it's a complete team effort.
01:45And if you have a great team, that's how you go on to win the finals.
01:49It was shocking.
01:50It was completely one-sided.
01:52But Spain deserved to win this tournament and they were completely the best team in this tournament.
01:57You know, the one statistic that stood out for me, Baichu, only 10 shots on target against Spain in the
02:02entire tournament over eight matches, conceding only one goal.
02:06This was a team built on defence in the midfield, particularly Rodri, the player of the tournament.
02:11Would you go along with that?
02:12That Spain had this magnificent defence and midfield.
02:19You know, I think people, when you concede just one goal and have only 10 shots on target throughout the
02:24tournament, they try and speak of goalkeeper and the defence.
02:27It's not only that.
02:28It's about the entire team.
02:29You know, they don't lose the ball easily.
02:32They keep the position.
02:33They frustrate the opponent.
02:34And when you have the ball, to keep the position, it's all about the movement of the ball.
02:39I think every time your defender got a ball stopper in the centre, there are three, four options for him
02:44to pass.
02:45When it goes to the midfield, there are, again, more options.
02:47When you go to the attacking front as well, there are more options to pass, move those balls.
02:53When you lose the ball as well, they try and pressurise you on those, you know, defending areas of the
02:59opponent, which makes it very, very difficult for any team to build up and play against Spain.
03:03And that's what they completely showed.
03:05And shocking was a team like Argentina with such a great scoring, you know, stats in this World Cup, had
03:14not a single shot on target entire 120 minutes.
03:17I think one shot they got off the target was above the goalpost in 117th minute.
03:22That shows how good the Spanish team was.
03:26And Messi himself, we all love him.
03:29Do you believe it's the end of the road finally for this great legend of the sport at the age
03:33of 39?
03:34Do you really believe there is another World Cup in him?
03:37Have we seen the last of Messi and the end of the Messi era?
03:43I think it was very sad to see Messi cry after the World Cup.
03:47And I think he exactly knew this, you know, this could be his last World Cup.
03:50And he's seen it.
03:52I think if you take, again, Messi out of this Argentina side, I think you would not get so many,
03:58you know, fans for Argentina.
04:00It was Messi fan that went on to support Argentina.
04:02And even the performance from day one after scoring hat-trick till the final, it was Messi's magical moment that
04:09really carried Argentina away to the finals.
04:11But when you meet a good team like Spain, I think it becomes very, very challenging.
04:15He's not, you can't carry all the time.
04:17So somewhere down the line, I think Messi's, you know, yesterday's, I think the tears in his eyes also showed
04:23that this could be his last.
04:25I feel sorry that, you know, if this is the last World Cup for him, we're going to miss one
04:31of the greatest footballers of all time.
04:34Maybe this could be his end of international career, you know, career as well.
04:39But I think he's really given so much to the sport, entertained.
04:42And we are very fortunate to see a great player like him.
04:45And just not us, but I think he's motivated and encouraged a lot of kids to take up the sport
04:50because of Messi.
04:53You know, wonderful to, as always, Bai Chung, have you on the show.
04:57Thanks very much for joining us.
04:59Yes, we will all miss the one and only Lionel Messi.
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