Who scored Spain’s winning goal in extra time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta scored Spain’s winning goal in extra time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup final.
The final was played on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 after a goalless 90 minutes. Iniesta struck in the 116th minute, controlling a pass from Cesc Fàbregas before shooting past goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
The goal gave Spain its first FIFA World Cup title. It also made Iniesta one of the defining figures of Spain’s successful era, which included UEFA European Championship victories in 2008 and 2012.
A common mix-up is to credit David Villa, who was Spain’s leading scorer at the tournament with five goals. Villa scored several important goals earlier in the competition, but Iniesta scored the decisive final goal.