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Spain are now champions of the world as well as kings of Europe after Andres Iniesta struck right at the end of a tense World Cup final to clinch a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.

All in all, it wasn't a classic was it? There were more bookings - 14 - than clear-cut chances, although the game did open up towards the end, and English referee Howard Webb was a busy man as he tried to keep the peace.

Here are my player ratings. You might disagree with some of them, but that is the name of the game, so feel free to put me right below.

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World Cup 2010: Cape Town

Until the start of this World Cup, I thought I knew what to expect from the Netherlands in major football tournaments. For the last 20 years, I have watched a succession of talented players in orange shirts put on some dazzling displays before falling short, sometimes having fallen out with each other first.

True, the Dutch may still leave South Africa empty-handed - they have to beat Spain in Sunday's final to get their hands on the game's ultimate prize for the first time - but .

Solid rather than spectacular and a team unit rather than a collection of star individuals, the Oranje have won all six of their games en route to the final without ever showing more than the occasional flashes of the flowing football for which they are famous.

What else has changed? Try the head coach for a start.

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World Cup 2010: Cape Town

When German tabloid ran the front-page headline "We are going to blow you away" after Joachim Loew's side had thrashed an aging Australia in their first game at this World Cup, I cannot have been the only person thinking that they might come to regret making such bold statements so early in the competition.

It was not just the newspapers that were getting carried away either. An English friend of mine who lives in Berlin told me how, after the Socceroos had been put to the sword, the whole country seemed to be celebrating already and apparently the general feeling was that this was their year.

That struck me as somewhat strange behaviour for Germans, who are usually far more reserved - especially as their side were not considered one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Then came defeat against Serbia, and the buzz about Germany being serious World Cup contenders faded for a while, especially as the South American super-powers came to the fore. But not anymore.

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