Iniesta says always believed in World Cup victory

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta, who scored the extra-time winner for Spain in the World Cup final against the Netherlands, said Tuesday he always believed his side could win the trophy.

“I always had faith and confidence. I had a lot of confidence in this team from the very first moment,” he told a Barcelona news conference.

“To make millions of people who follow the national team happy and suffer along with us has no price and it pleases me. The happiness of other people is priceless,” the 26-year-old added.

Iniesta collected a pass from Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas during Sunday’s match to fire home from close range just four minutes from the final whistle, triggering massive street celebrations across Spain.

It was the first World Cup win for Spain, the winners of the 2008 European Championships.

The total television audience during extra-time, when Iniesta scored, was 15.6 million people for a 85.9 percent audience share, making it the most watched television broadcast in Spanish history.