And that's it. The final whistle sounds and Spain are world champions for the first time. Iniesta's late strike proves the difference as La Furia Roja will get to lift the trophy.
120' +1
Xavi gets yellow.
Desperate defending now for Spain as Holland press forward. Xavi earned a booking for kicking the ball away.
120'
Two minutes will be added on.
119'
Holland, playing with 10 men mind you, have a few minutes left here to carve out what would be an amazing equalizer.
118'
Iniesta gets yellow.
117'
J. Mathijsen gets yellow.
Amazing stuff and the frustrated Dutch show it as Mathijsen is booked for dissent. Iniesta was also booked for taking off his shirt.
116'
Iniesta has scored a goal for Spain! Assist by Fàbregas.
Goal Spain! Incredible scenes at Soccer City as Spain are four minutes from a world title. Fabregas has the ball at the top of the area and he slides it through for Iniesta for the clinical finish inside the far post.
115'
Free kick for the Dutch about 35 yards away in the center of the pitch. Sneijder has a go at it, but the ball deflects out only to see a goal kick awarded.
114'
The game is still electric and penalties are by no means a foregone conclusion at this point in time.
112'
The free kick is punched away by Stekelenburg, but the ball back in by Navas is ballooned into the seats.
Minute
Description
111'
G. van der Wiel gets yellow.
And now a booking for van der Wiel as he clips down Iniesta.
110'
Xavi takes the free kick on his right boot from 20 yards, but the ball sails over the bar.
109'
J. Heitinga gets a second yellow card and is sent off.
Free kick to Spain at the edge of the area, and Holland are down to 10 men as Heitinga picks up his second booking. Iniesta would have been clear on goal after Xavi's lofted pass, and the defender had little choice but to bring him down.
107'
Xavi's cross to the back post from the left is nodded back to Stekelenburg by Braafheid, though the substitute knew absolutely nothing about it with his head turned away from the play.
106'
Fernando Torres enters the game and replaces David Villa.
The teams turn it around on the pitch, and we're quickly back under way for the second half of extra time. To start the period, Fernando Torres replaces David Villa in Spain's final change.
105'
E. Braafheid enters the game and replaces G. van Bronckhorst.
And now the final change for Holland with Edson Braafheid coming on to replace van Bronckhorst. That marks the end of the footballing career of the Dutch captain. Meanwhile, after a minute of added time, the whistle is blown for half-time.
104'
Fabregas slices through the middle of the Dutch defense, but he drags a shot wide as he fell to ground.
101'
And so nearly the winner for Navas. The winger gets the ball in space on the right, but his shot is deflected into the side netting. The corner by Xavi sails over everyone.
100'
The second sub is made by van Marwijk as Rafael van der Vaart is on for de Jong to add a bit more attacking flair to the midfield.
99'
R. van der Vaart enters the game and replaces N. de Jong.
Iniesta is played through nicely by Fabregas, but the Barcelona man refuses to shoot with his right boot. Van Bronckhorst cuts it out as Iniesta shifts to his left. Goal kick in the end for Holland.
96'
Off a corner kick for Holland, Fabregas runs into Casillas but Mathijsen heads over the bar with the keeper out of the picture.
95'
Fabregas is through alone with the keeper, but Stekelenburg is equal to the task again. The keeper charges out to cut down the angle, and Fabregas shoots right into him.
93'
Off the corner by Xavi, Puyol heads toward goal only to see Stekelenburg claim and clear.
92'
Villa fires wide from the top of the area, and it's out for a corner. Shouts for a penalty by Spain as Xavi goes down, but Webb isn't buying the claims.
91'
Well, off we go for an extra 30 minutes to determine the world champion. The Dutch will still have two subs in their pocket, while Spain have one change left at their disposal.
90' +4
There's the full-time whistle, and the 2010 World Cup final is going to extra time.
90' +2
Holland determined not to get beaten now. All 10 outfield players are behind the ball.
90'
Three added minutes in the second half.
89'
Not much time remaining here for a side grab a winner. Unless things change, this final is destined for 30 minutes of extra time.
87'
Fàbregas enters the game and replaces Xabi Alonso.
And now del Bosque makes the move with Cesc replacing Xabi Alonso.
86'
Cesc Fabregas is warming up and preparing to come on for Spain.
84'
A. Robben gets yellow.
Robben, in his vehement protests to Webb, earns a booking for dissent.
83'
Again Robben is put through with Casillas to beat, but a nudge from Puyol impedes him. He wanted a foul, did Robben, but none was coming.
82'
Another free kick for Spain on the left as Robben brings down Iniesta. The quick free kick, however, does not fool the Dutch defenders.
81'
Great touch by Iniesta to spring himself in the area, but his attempts to shift to his favored foot are dealt with nicely by Sneijder.
79'
Testy moments as Iniesta and van Bommel clash, but the referee does his best to calm things down. Meanwhile, Navas again is working van Bronckhorst hard on the right and he wins a corner.
77'
Xavi plays Villa into the area with a neat one-two, but van der Wiel deflects Villa's shot out for a corner. And on the corner it should have been the opener. Ramos is clear in space for a free header, but he sends it over the bar. No reason that shouldn't have hit the target if you're Spain.
76'
Navas with a nifty cross from the right, but Villa's volley sails wide.
74'
Villa takes it with his right boot, but the ball sails on him. Goal kick for Holland.
73'
Free kick awarded to Spain about 25 yards out as Iniesta is taken down late by Heitinga.
71'
E. Elia enters the game and replaces D. Kuyt.
The Dutch make their first change as Kuyt is replaced by Eljero Elia for some added pace on the flank.
70'
Off the corner, Capdevila turns and fires from the top of the area only to see it saved by Stekelenburg.
69'
Last-ditch defending saves the Dutch on that occasion. A great low cross by Navas from the right is deflected into the path of Villa. But Heitinga recovers to deflect Villa's shot at an open net.
67'
Capdevila gets yellow.
Card number eight, and this one for Spain as Capdevila clips down van Persie with a bit of a professional foul.
66'
Navas looks very lively on the right-hand side of the pitch since his introduction. He is a fantastic crosser of the ball, and he is rightly given a lot of attention by the Dutch.
63'
Off the corner, Robben blasts it over the bar after having the ball knocked back into his path.
62'
Casillas saves the game for Spain right there. Sneijder slides it through for Robben up the middle, but a charging Casillas deflects the shot wide.
61'
Kuyt whips in a cross from the left toward the penalty spot, but van Persie's off-balance header soars high. Good pressure by Puyol on the Arsenal man in the area.
60'
Jesús Navas enters the game and replaces Pedro.
The first sub of the game is for Spain as Pedro is withdrawn in place of winger Jesús Navas.
58'
On a free kick, Heitinga is ruled offside as he attempted to head on goal.
57'
J. Heitinga gets yellow.
56'
Heitinga is now the seventh player booked for a late challenge on Villa. The seven yellow cards are the most ever in a World Cup final.
55'
On the free kick, Xavi gets some decent bend with his right boot, but the ball dips just high and wide of the near post with Stekelenburg alert to the danger.
54'
G. van Bronckhorst gets yellow.
Free kick to Spain 25 yards from goal as Ramos was taken down by van Bronckhorst. For his efforts, the Dutch captain is booked in what will be his final game of professional football.
52'
Robben turns inside to shoot with his favored left boot, but Casillas is down at the near post to save.
50'
Good cross from the right by van der Wiel is into the six-yard box, but Casillas lets it roll out with no one in sight to latch on.
48'
And so close for Spain off the corner. Xavi's corner is flicked on by the head of Puyol, but Capdevila swings over the top of it at the far post.
47'
Iniesta with a flick pass throgh for Xavi, but he can't latch on. Spain do win a corner, however.
46'
No changes at the break, and the second half is under way.
45' +3
There is the half-time whistle and we are deadlocked right where we started. It's been a chippy first half as history beckons for one of these two sides.
45' +1
Long free kick swung in to the box finds the head of Heitinga, but he can't get any power on it. After it comes back out, Robben shoots low from the left and forces Casillas to parry it away.
45'
There will be two minutes added on according to fourth official Yuichi Nishimura of Japan.
43'
The 40-yard free kick by Alonso is ambitious at best, and the ball sails wide of the target.
42'
Big collision in the center of the pitch between Sneijder and Busquets, and the free kick has gone the way of Spain. Sneijder was late to the ball, and he'll get a talking-to from Howard Webb.
40'
Xavi swings it into the center, but the ball is headed straight up and then away.
39'
Free kick to Spain from 35 yards after van Bommel brings down Xavi.
38'
Meanwhile, at the other end, Pedro drags a shot just wide from 25 yards after being afforded space in the center of the pitch. Perhaps the game is opening up just a bit now.
37'
Good work by Sneijder on the right against Busquets earns the Dutch a corner kick. And it was lovely set piece with a failed ending. Robben's short ball to the top for van Bommel is touched to the left for Mathijsen, but the defender completely mishits the ball. He should have put that one on target.
36'
The Spanish pressure from early in the half has subsided and the Dutch now appear more organized in their defensive efforts. They are biding their time for the right break.
33'
Casillas soars into the air to collect a high ball, and he takes out Puyol on his way to the ground. No one is hurt though.
30'
Aside from the header by Ramos, the two sides have rarely tested the goalkeepers. The Spanish have enjoyed a lot of the possession, but they will be disappointed not to have scored yet. The Dutch, meanwhile, are thrilled to still be at 0-0 right now.
28'
N. de Jong gets yellow.
Make that five bookings and a third for Holland as Nigel de Jong is a bit fortunate. He gets a boot into the gut of an airborne Xabi Alonso, but yellow is the only punishment. A different ref may have seen that as a red-card offense. Each side still with 11, though.
27'
More than midway through the first half now, and the game has definitely lacked fluidity. The harsh challenges from both sides have certainly contributed to that.
24'
Sneijder serves in the free kick from over 50 yards, but a confident take by Casillas at the far post erases the danger.
23'
Sergio Ramos gets yellow.
And now another booking, this time for Sergio Ramos as he was just a bit late to the ball on a trip of Kuyt down the left.
22'
M. van Bommel gets yellow.
Another rash challenge, this time by Mark van Bommel on Iniesta, earns a third booking from Webb.
21'
Corner for Holland as Robben's pace forces a deflection behind by Xabi Alonso. Robben takes it himself, but Ramos headed away for a throw.
20'
Kuyt lofts the ball forward for the run of van Persie, but Gerard Piqué beats him to the ball and clears.
18'
The free kick actually taken from 35 yards on the left by Wesley Sneijder, but Casillas goes low to make a comfortable save.
17'
Puyol gets yellow.
Now a free kick to Holland 30 yards out as a dangerous challenge by Puyol hauls down Arjen Robben. Deserved booking to the Barcelona center half there.
15'
R. van Persie gets yellow.
We'll get our first booking of the match by Mr. Webb as van Persie is into the book for slicing down Joan Capdevila.
12'
Off the short corner, a cross from the right is sent in by Xabi Alonso for Villa. But the striker's volley is into the side netting. The Dutch are on thin ice right now under immense Spanish pressure.
11'
Great move by Ramos on the right to get inside Kuyt, but his cross is deflected behind by Heitinga.
9'
Villa finally beats the Dutch offside trap, but the pass over the top by Xavi is just a bit too heavy. Joris Mathijsen and John Heitinga knew nothing of Villa's run there.
8'
The Dutch finally get a bit off the ball in the Spain half after a turnover by Sergio Busquets, but a long-range shot by Dirk Kuyt lacks the pace to trouble Iker Casillas.
6'
Another throughball by Pedro, and another offside whistled against his intended target, Villa. It's all Spain early on here at Soccer City.
5'
Xavi swings in the set piece to the center of the area, but Ramos' header is denied by Maarten Stekelenburg. Phenomenal save by the Dutch keeper to keep Spain from an early goal.
4'
Spain win a free kick on the right touchline as Sergio Ramos is tripped up by Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
3'
David Villa tries to break free to latch onto Pedro's pass, but the Barcelona new boy is just a yard offside.
2'
Early pressure up the middle from Iniesta, but a host of orange shirts force him off the ball. Spain are forced to play in their alternate navy blue strip with the Dutch tonight's designated home team.
1'
National anthems and all that done, and the World Cup final is now under way. Howard Webb of England is your referee for this ultimate of games.
History will be made tonight at Soccer City as either the Netherlands or Spain will end the day with their first World Cup title. The final this evening in Johannesburg proves to be an epic encounter between two historically strong footballing nations with mind-boggling pasts of underachievement. The Dutch, runners-up in 1974 and 1978, advanced to the final after a nervy 3-2 victory over Uruguay. Spain, meanwhile, got a headed goal from Carles Puyol to defeat Germany, 1-0. Gregory van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong return to the starting XI for Holland coach Bert van Marwijk after missing out on the semifinal due to suspension. Khalid Boulahrouz and Demy de Zeeuw are relegated back to the bench. For Spain, coach Vicente del Bosque names an unchanged starting side as Pedro retains his spot in the team ahead of Fernando Torres.
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