Spain top of the world

Spain were last night crowned champions of the world for the first time in their history.

By The Newsroom

Published 12th Jul 2010, 01:03 BST

Updated 12th Jul 2010, 01:03 BST

Andres Iniesta's late strike broke Holland hearts in the World Cup final at Johannesburg's Soccer City.

The Barcelona midfielder struck four minutes before the end of extra time when he latched onto a pass from Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas and volleyed past Maarten Stekelenburg.

It came six minutes after John Heitinga was sent off by referee Howard Webb, 38, a former policeman from Rotherham.

The tetchy encounter saw Webb, the first Englishman to referee a World Cup final since 1974, brandish a record 14 yellow cards, plus a red for Everton's Heitinga.

The final was watched by an estimated three billion TV viewers. Holland have now lost three World Cup finals.