started every match and played almost every minute (he was replaced by Marchena in the 84th minute of the quarter-final against Paraguay). He scored the only goal in the semi-final with Germany, a powerful header from a corner taken by Barcelona teammate Xavi, which sent the national team through to their first World Cup final. In the final, he featured for the full 120 minutes as the side defeated the Netherlands 1–0 in extra time. Spain only conceded two goals throughout the tournament – none of which came in the knock-out stages – also keeping five clean sheets, a record for a World Cup–winning team, shared with the 2006 Italy side and 1998's France. He also completed 88% of his passes, the third–highest completion rate of any player in the competition alongside his teammate Sergio Busquets, and was named to the team of the tournament for his performances. On 1 August 2010, aged 32, Puyol announced that he would continue to represent the national team for at least another two years. He missed Spain's victorious Euro 2012 campaign due to a knee injury sustained in a league game against Espanyol in early May, which required surgery and five to six weeks' recuperation. The following year, he was ruled out of the Confederations Cup, once again due to physical problems. Puyol played his 100th and final international on 6 February 2013, captaining Spain to a 3–1 friendly win over Uruguay in Doha, Qatar. Style of play Puyol is regarded as one of the best defenders and captains of all time. Mainly a central defender, he was a versatile player who could also feature on either flank, mostly as a right-back, in particular in the first part of his career. He also initially played as a defensive midfielder in his early career, and had previously even been deployed as goalkeeper and striker in his youth. Described as a "no–nonsense" player, Puyol was known for his commanding presence in the air despite his modest stature, as well as his ability to read the game, and his intense commitment and ruggedness as a defender, in particular when challenging for the ball. According to Barcelona's head doctor, he was "the strongest, who has the quickest reactions, and who has the most explosive strength." In 2006, Simon Talbot of The Guardian described Puyol as: "Barcelona's very own Captain Caveman, playing football with his heart on his