page_title: Fernando Torres
section_title: 2009–10: World Cup champions
hierarchical_section_title: Fernando Torres / International career / 2009–10: World Cup champions
caption_attribution_description: El autobús de los campeones el 12 de julio de 2010 a las 21.00 en la Plaza de España de Madrid, después de la histórica victoria que supuso el primer campeonato del Mundo de la selección.
context_page_description: Fernando José Torres Sanz is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
  Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, progressing through their youth system to the first-team squad. He made his first-team debut in 2001 and finished his time at the club with 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Prior to his La Liga debut, Torres played two seasons in the Segunda División for Atlético, making 40 appearances and scoring seven goals.
  Torres joined Premier League club Liverpool in 2007, after signing for a club record transfer fee. He marked his first season at Anfield by being Liverpool's first player since Robbie Fowler in the 1995–96 season to score more than 20 league goals in a season. The most prolific goalscoring spell of his career, he became the fastest player in Liverpool history to score 50 league goals. He was named in the FIFA World XI in 2008 and 2009. Torres left the club in January 2011 to join Chelsea for a British record transfer fee of £50 million, which made him the most expensive Spanish player in history. In his first full season at Chelsea, Torres won the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
context_section_description: Torres made his 60th appearance for Spain in a 2010 World Cup qualification victory over Turkey on 28 March 2009, becoming the youngest player to reach this milestone.
  Torres was named in Spain's team for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in June. He scored his second hat-trick for Spain after 17 minutes into a Confederations Cup match against New Zealand on 14 June, thus recording the fastest hat-trick by a player for Spain. He played for Spain as they were defeated 2–0 by the United States in the semi-final, as well as the third-place play-off, which Spain won 3–2 against South Africa after extra time.
  Having undergone knee surgery on 18 April 2010, and missing the end of the Premier League season, Torres' rehabilitation and fitness was closely monitored by Spain manager Vicente del Bosque. Although still out injured, Torres was selected for Spain's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad in May. On 8 June, Torres made his first appearance on the field in exactly two months, coming on as a substitute on 66 minutes against Poland in a pre-World Cup friendly.
  Torres came on as a substitute on 61 minutes in Spain's opening World Cup match on 16 June, a 1–0 defeat to Switzerland. He started the next two matches against Honduras and Chile and although his performances in the group stage were described as below-par, he received backing from Del Bosque. Torres came on as a substitute on 105 minutes in the final as Spain won the World Cup for the first time following a 1–0 victory over the Netherlands on 11 July 2010.
caption: Torres celebrates with Spain at Plaza de España on 12 July 2010 after winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup
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