Iniesta scored the only goal of the match in the 116th minute, drilling home a low finish after being played through by substitute Cesc Fabregas, with penalties just four minutes away.
The final was a bruising, physical affair rather than a showcase of Spain’s usual passing style. Referee Howard Webb issued a record 14 yellow cards, one of them a second booking for Netherlands defender John Heitinga, sent off seven minutes before Iniesta’s winner for pulling back the Barcelona midfielder.
Arjen Robben had the game’s best chance for the Dutch in normal time, denied by a smart save from Iker Casillas after being sent through one on one.
Iniesta celebrated by lifting his shirt to reveal a message honouring former Espanyol teammate Daniel Jarque, who had died the previous year, earning himself a booking in the process.
The win completed a remarkable two year stretch for Spain, adding the World Cup to the European Championship they had won in 2008, and made them the first European nation to win the World Cup outside of Europe.
Photo: Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images
