Spain won its first FIFA World Cup title in 2010. The breakthrough came in the final on July 11, when Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The decisive goal was scored by Andrés Iniesta in the 116th minute. The match was tense and physical, producing 14 yellow cards and a red card for Dutch defender John Heitinga. Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas also made a crucial one-on-one save from Arjen Robben during regulation time.
Spain had previously reached the World Cup quarter-finals but had never advanced to the final. Its 2010 victory made the country the eighth nation to win the men’s World Cup and the first European team to win the tournament outside Europe.
A common mix-up is confusing Spain’s World Cup triumph with its European Championship victories. Spain won Euro 2008 before the World Cup and Euro 2012 afterward, creating an exceptional run of three major international titles in succession.