The 2010 World Cup champions were crowned overnight, and with 90-minutes unable to separate Spain and the Netherlands, the final went into extra time and saw the Spanish come out on top with a 1-0 win.
While the Netherlands preferred to sit back and attack on the counter, the Spanish chose to pressurise and attack from the back.
The superb Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg saw just fewer than 85,000 spectators take to the stands for what was a nail-biting experience.
The current European champions and now newly anointed champions of the world started strong, and while dominating the tempo of the game, struggled to execute in front of goal.
While neither side had lifted the trophy before, it was an Andres Iniesta 116th minute strike which saw the difference between the two European nations, and took Spain onto their fourth consecutive 1-0 win.
It was a game of passion, with thirteen yellow cards shown all over the park, while John Heitinga copped two which resulted in a red.
Opportunities flowed in both directions, and while the Netherlands preferred to sit back and attack on the counter, coming close to goal on several occasions, the Spanish chose to pressurise and attack from the back.
While Maarten Stekelenburg was impressive for the Dutch in goal – saving the nation with the tip of his fingers, he could not stop Iniesta just four minutes away from penalties, and while being a man down, the men in orange did all they could to come back to no avail.
So as Spain lifted the golden cup, ready to take it home and place it next to the European championship trophy, certainly not looking to stop the partying anytime soon – the Dutch were doubled over with grief, unable to stop thinking about what could have been as they fell at the final hurdle for the third time.
For punters who have wagered throughout this tournament, it is interesting to note that despite a 1-0 loss to Switzerland in their opening match, Spain came into the tournament as favourites to emerge triumphant, and for those who backed them – a lucrative sum will have been made.
So while the 2010 World Cup has come to an end, the next major international football tournament is Euro 2012, which Sportsbet already has a market open for, and with no surprise the Spanish side making their impact on global football at the moment are at $6 to retain their title in Poland and Ukraine.
So if you would like to keep up with the world of international football, back your home nation or the side you believe will do best, head to SportsBet for the best in odds and markets available!
