Not many would have thought Spain would win the World Cup without Lamine Yamal being the star of the tournament. That they did shows exactly why they are the right champions.Spain don’t have the depth of superstar talent of some other countries. The best collection of players belongs to France. I’d say England have just as good as, if not better than Spain.But Spain were by miles the best team. Everything you are coached as a player, they execute that as individuals and then collectively. The movement, the one-touch football, the courage to play through pressure, the calmness in possession. It was a masterclass.I know some will look at the final being goalless after 90 minutes and feel short-changed, especially with expectation high on the back of the last World Cup final. But from a performance perspective, Spain were outstanding. They barely gave Argentina a kick and did not concede a shot in 90 minutes. If you’re a Spanish supporter, at no stage did you think you were not going to win.It’s the mark of a great team when you do not have to rely on one or two players, and you can make six substitutions and it feels like you are watching the same side that started the game.Spain had identity. They had class. They had total confidence in what they were doing. I’m happy we got the deserved winners. Spain showed throughout the World Cup why they were exactly the right team to win it AND THE RIGHT PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENTMy player of the World Cup was Rodri – and the organisers agreed. I think we can safely say he’s back to his absolute best.It’s taken him a while after such a serious knee injury, but over the last few weeks he’s looked like the Rodri we’ve come to expect. For me, he’s head and shoulders above every other holding midfielder in world football.People talk about his passing and vision, but it’s his bravery that really stands out. He always wants the ball, even in tight areas, and he has the quality to dictate the game. He’s not just a sitting midfielder, either. Spain trust him to get forward, influence attacks and play higher up the pitch when the game demands it.Wherever he is, Rodri makes everyone around him better. Only the very, very best can do that.MY ENGLAND REGRETArgentina’s awful performance in the final was a frustrating reminder that it should have been England. They did not beat us in the semi-final, we beat ourselves.If you go back to the start of tournament, I was very positive about England’s chances. I thought we had the players in attack to hurt teams. Everything I saw of us in North America reinforced that. Jude Bellingham was sensational.What concerned me was Mexico and the euphoric reaction to what was, in reality, a fortunate escape against an average team. That set the players’ mindset to survival and, when England went 1-0 up against Argentina, they reverted to it. It was a disaster. It was a waste.That half hour apart, this was a positive tournament for England. There was nothing to stop us getting to the final other than our own misplaced belief of what was needed to see out that game. Would we have beaten Spain? I still think they would have edged it. But we would have given them a better game than Argentina, if we played with the right approach and trusted our ability, like we saw against France in the third-place match.That is the regret, but it should also give us encouragement. We have the players to win major tournaments, I am convinced of that. Argentina’s awful performance in the final reminded us that it should have been England there Argentina did not beat England in the semi-finals, but the Three Lions rather beat themselvesVAR…Without VAR, Argentina would be uncontrollable!The technology took its usual bashing during the tournament, and much of the criticism was over the top and short-sighted.But the one thing this World Cup should remind everyone is that the presence of VAR is the unseen deterrent, a policing mechanism that is invaluable, if under-appreciated.Imagine the tricks Argentina would pull if they thought there was a chance of getting away with more. They already constantly push the boundaries. It would be absolute carnage and the cheats would look to prosper.Yes, we can work to improve the processes around it, and that is what we have to do, because the alternative is a scary thought. It would be chaos. Not convinced? Think Argentina!FIFA…The delayed kick-off for the final was unacceptable and spoke to a lot of my gripes with changes FIFA have made to the World Cup.Then we had the half-time interval, which felt like it went on forever. As a former player, I know that would disrupt your rhythm. Footballers have routines for refuelling, receiving information and preparing mentally to go again. Stretch that break out to 30 minutes and you’re changing the nature of the contest.I understand the final is a global event and fans have paid a fortune to be there, but the football has to come first. Everything else should work around the game, not the other way round.The same goes for the water breaks we’ve seen throughout the tournament. Dealing with difficult conditions has always been part of elite football. It’s a challenge you have to overcome and the fitter teams thrive.But if a drinks break has to happen, make it 30 seconds. Keep everyone on the pitch, get some kids to run on and hand out bottles and get on with the game. What I don’t like is players wandering to the touchline, managers delivering team-talks and the entire flow of the match being interrupted. For me, it changes the game too much, and not for the better. The half-time show felt like it went on forever and football has to come first at the World CupTHE FUTURE OF THE WORLD CUPThe biggest success of this World Cup was also its biggest flaw.I loved seeing new nations on the biggest stage. Countries like Cape Verde have captured the imagination and delivered new heroes. Those players will return home as legends. Football has reached more people than ever before and that’s something to celebrate.But it has come at a cost. I said before the tournament that the group stage would be pointless, and it was. The jeopardy just was not there. None of the teams eliminated were a shock. I was bored with a lot of it until we got to the knockout rounds.My other frustration is what this expansion has done to the history books. Part of the fascination of the World Cup has always been comparing generations. Now, players have more games and, in many cases, against weaker opposition. Take Michael Olise breaking Pele’s assist record. Olise had a brilliant tournament and deserves credit, but it’s simply impossible to compare those achievements fairly anymore.Now that FIFA has opened the door, I’d actually go one step further and expand to 64 nations. We need to remove the safety net of third-placed teams getting out of the group. It’s ridiculous.When the jeopardy did return in the knockout rounds, we saw what a magnificent spectacle World Cup matches really are. We need to protect that.