You could see it in the Spanish players, who floated in euphoria, kissing each top of the trophy.
You could feel it in the fans in the stands as they walked the blurred line between shock and joy.
And you could hear it rumble through Spain as a nation united by something that really shouldn’t mean that much but does mean more than anything else.
Nick Hornby summed it up best in his classic football memoir, Fever Pitch.
“I fell in love with football the way I later fell in love with women: suddenly, inexplicably, uncritically, without thinking about the pain or destruction it would bring.”
Argentina also felt their strength: scenes of Lionel Messi in tears, distraught fans, Leandro Paredes losing control and attacking.
Lionel Messi was crushed after the defeat. (Getty Images: Michael Regan)
At that moment they thought that such love would never find me.
The World Cup can twist and torment, tear out your heart and trample on it until you feel it can’t be repaired.
It can also make you fall head over heels and erase all the pain you’ve ever felt before.
La Roja is ruthless in victory
Spain captain Rodri understands the scale of the achievement. (Getty Images: Alex Pantling )
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente spoke about it in his own way before the semi-final against France, drawing inspiration from Julius Caesar and the idea that to achieve great things you have to suffer.
And it was a game that was a struggle for everyone, lacking the overall quality and excitement you’d expect from the finale.
Argentina were stubborn and defended heroically in the box but again used questionable roughing tactics which ultimately led to Enzo Fernandez being sent off.
The defending champions showed little initiative in creating anything until the final minutes of overtime, when their dream dissipated into the warm New Jersey air.
Spain, who conceded just one goal all tournament and had 20 shots to two in the decider, may not have produced their greatest performance, but it was their most important.
That’s what La Roja have done over the past six weeks: control the ball effortlessly, win it back almost immediately, build up the pressure with a well-organized and committed structure, and wait until late to put an end to it all.
Ferran Torres celebrates the decisive goal in the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. (Getty Images)
The Spaniards were particularly effective in blocking Messi, who saw little of the ball and was quickly dispossessed or forced to make mistakes when he had the ball.
It turns out he can be stopped; it just takes the most outstanding defensive team in this tournament.
The European champions are now world champions for the second time, having gone unbeaten for 38 matches in a row. The magnificent football dynasty grows with every game, becoming the first country to host both men’s and women’s World Cups at the same time.
“I am so proud of this generation of players who grew up with this philosophy, stayed true to it, made it even better and set an example as a team and as a family,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
“They are superb, world-class footballers with exceptional talent. I’m very touched. Looking back and thinking about them, I realize that with this generation of players we won everything, absolutely everything.”
Collective triumph for Spain
The celebrations in Madrid will continue long after tonight. (Getty Images: Chris McGrath)
Argentina are a team built around one player, the likes of which we have never seen before.
Spain is built on a collective approach, filled with outstanding players, but they all work in harmony, allowing each other to shine at different moments.
Like Mikel Merino with his repeated victories from the bench, or Rodri holding the team together as a linchpin in midfield, or Ferran Torres with his vital passes and today’s winning strike.
“I think ultimately the goal came from 47 million people, not just those of us here,” Torres said.
“Today fate was written, it was created for us to win. Today we are far from our people, but we tried to be as close to them as possible.
“It’s a huge relief (to score). I was criticized throughout the tournament, but as I said, my fate was predetermined.”
It says so much that 19-year-old Lamin Yamal, widely seen as Messi’s heir apparent, did not play a particularly influential role in this final or at any stage of the tournament.
Lamin Yamal failed to have the breakthrough tournament that some predicted. (Getty Images: Evrim Aydin/Anadolu)
He was not a passenger, but he was certainly not a guide, and this can only increase confidence and instill more fear in other nations as he grows from boy to man.
This World Cup got off to a slow start for Spain, with a scoreless draw against the tournament’s top underdogs, Cape Verde.
But while superstars such as Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham grabbed the headlines and dominated social media algorithms, Spain were quiet and conscientious achievers.
That all changed with a terrifyingly effective demolition of France in the semi-finals and now a well-deserved victory in the final.
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“This generation of players is an example for Spanish sport and for Spanish youth,” de la Fuente said.
“Together we are much stronger, and that is why we do not forget anyone.”
A team forged in fire, built on discipline and unity, now enjoying their love story.