King Juan Carlos of Spain (r) and Queen Sofia congratulate Fernando Torres on his goal, 29 Jun 2008

Spain has won the Euro 2008 football tournament championship with a thrilling 1-0 victory over three-time European champion Germany in Vienna, Austria.  The victory gives Spain its first major title in 44 years.

Overshadowed by teammate David Villa, Spanish striker Fernando Torres scored the game winner in the 33rd minute Sunday after he sped past the German defense and took a deep pass from teammate Xavi Hernandez.

Spain had more chances to score, but the single goal proved enough to give the country its first title since the 1964 European Championship.  Germany struggled to get through the Spanish defense at Ernst Happel Stadium.  German captain Michael Ballack played with an injured calf and could not provide the needed spark for his team.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.