5. Torres goal sets off Spain’s European dominance
No list of memorable Torres moments would be complete without mentioning his winning goal against Germany in the 2008 Euros. Up until that point, Spain were known as a team who could play good football but in the end would come up short.
Torres’ goal and Spain’s subsequent win changed Spain’s mentality and the way they were viewed. One could argue it was the stepping stone to their dominance that spanned from 2008-2012. This was before Pep’s Barcelona revolutionized not only LaLiga but the national team as well.
Torres was front and center of that 2008 team managed by Luis Aragonés. His goal marks a before and after for Spain. No longer were they the “almost was.”
Torres was there for the entire ride. While he slowed down after that, he was still an integral part to them winning the 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euros. As mentioned before, wherever he went, he scored. They may not have been as much in the latter stage of his career but when he did score, they were important goals.
This was just a taste of the type of player Fernando Torres was. Five different points of his career don’t do justice to what was an 18-year career as a footballer. Who knows what he will do next but he will always be remembered as “El Niño.”