​EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Spain is the champion of the world. Everyone saw them win the World Cup, with Ferran Torres scoring in extra time to beat Argentina1-0 on Sunday, July 19.You’ll have to forgive Spain’s players themselves, then, if they are having trouble with the fact that they’ve conqured the world.”I still don’t believe it,” said Pedro Porro, Spain’s right back. “I think the first few days will go by, and I’m not going to believe it.”The goalkeeper Unai Simon wore a medal around his neck but said it might take a trans-Atlantic flight and a celebratory parade to jolt him into reality.”I’m still taking it all in a bit,” Simon said. “I didn’t have any kind of emotion when the referee blew the whistle.”What we’ve earned, what we’ve achieved? I think, hearing from my family what they’ve experienced, I’m sure when we get to Spain we’ll realize the crazy thing we’ve just done.”That crazy thing, winning the World Cup for just the second time in this country with a rich soccer history, allowing just one goal while doing it and becoming the first team to finally put up a challenge too great for Argentina to overcome.It all happened in an unlikely way.Spain went into the tournament as one of the favorites, but La Roja won the tournament in a way few saw possible.The 19-year-old Barcelona prospect who might have had the most impact was not the flashy winger Lamine Yamal, the smiling teenager who led Spain to the Euro title two summers ago. Rather, it was center back Pau Cubarsi who was more influential on matches and was named Best Young Player of the tournament for his efforts.How did Spain surprise experts in it World Cup win?Yamal wasn’t bad, but the attacker was certainly expected to have more counting stats — even coming off a hamstring injury that ended his Barcelona season early (though he played enough to be named the best player in La Liga).But Cubarsi was very good. He ends the final as the player who made the most defensive contributions in the deciding game, with eight, and also put 139 touches on the ball. He completed 121 of the 126 passes he attempted, but his positioning, his ability to win back balls and the way he quieted the Argentine threat without committing a single foul in a physical game meant he was one of the most influential players.It was one of several things that worked for Spain and turned on its head the pre-tournament idea the team would compete as Lamal and other creators.In goal, Unai Simon was beaten just once. He embraced the role of sweeper keeper behind the adventurous back line eagerly — sometimes too eagerly, frightening Spain fans with his charges forward from the box to clear a ball.But Simon didn’t have the starting place secured heading into the summer. David Raya took the No. 1 shirt after a superb season with Arsenal.”It’s really important to keep the group together, to keep that feeling among everyone, that respect between those who have more or less minutes,” Simon said. “In that aspect, the ‘mis