The greatest of all time?

All of the arguments, all of the debates, all of the questions around Spain are now irrelevant – except one.

Is this Spanish team now the greatest of all time?

After an exceptional, exhilarating, crowning performance that was anything but boring, it’s hard to argue otherwise. By finally beating Italy in such a comprehensive manner, they have become the first ever team to win three international trophies in a row.

Not only that, there is the very strong possibility that, at this level, they might well be unbeatable.

Certainly, this entire game served as the culmination of their possession and pressing-based system.

This is what Vicente Del Bosque intended. This was the point of it all. This was perfection.

The build-up to this final, and indeed Spain’s entire tournament, had been framed by the ongoing debate over Del Bosque’s 4-3-3-0 formation.

As expected, however, he did the same last night. For the third time at Euro 2012 and the second time against Italy, he featured Cesc Fabregas in the false-nine role.

By the quarter-hour, though, Spain had made an absolute mockery of so much of the debate.

Indeed, the opening goal was almost the perfect illustration of Del Bosque’s entire rationale.

After a kaleidoscopic passing move, the three rotating attackers combined to produce a goal that was at once exquisitely complex but also brilliantly orthodox.

First, Andres Iniesta played a divine through ball for Cesc Fabregas. He went around the outside while David Silva went around the inside, with the latter then very simply heading in Fabregas’s chip. Brilliant.

One of the main reasons Spain were able to pull that off in such a magnificent manner, however, was because they simply looked so much sharper and so much less fatigued. Unlike in the match against Portugal, all of their touches and passes were coming off.

That, of course, was because, this time, they didn’t spend the four days between games needlessly travelling from the south east of Ukraine to the north east of Poland.

It told.

To be fair, the scoreline could have even been more telling by then. For a few isolated moments, you could see the reasons why Spain’s formation has caused so much debate.

After just 50 seconds, for example, Iniesta smartly flicked through for Fabregas. The midfielder, however, didn’t quite have the acceleration to reach it. Had it been a more direct, faster frontman – such as Fernando Torres – on instead, an opportunity might have been forced.

There was a similar moment on six minutes when Jordi Alba burst down the left. He crossed but no-one was there to finish as Silva was on the far end of the box. Here, had it been a player with more of a striker’s instinct – such as Fernando Llorente – the opening goal might have come much earlier.

As it was, it meant Italy were at the very least still in the match by the time they finally appeared to get to grips with it — once Spain had gone ahead. And, for a good 20 minutes, they produced some good football to make life a lot more uncomfortable for the Spanish.

With Andrea Pirlo – typically – getting things going and making the Spanish work from every set-piece, Iker Casillas and his backline had to be fully focused.

Sergio Ramos certainly seemed fully focused on Mario Balotelli. The Real Madrid centre-half reacted to an abrasive early challenge from the Italian with a series of assured challenges of his own.

But, just as it looked like Italy might force a proper opening, Spain stepped up again.

Even more importantly, after a largely indifferent tournament, Xavi stepped up. Just like the Spanish team as a whole, he was saving his best for last.

With Alba thundering up the flank, the player who absolutely defines this generation hit a pass every bit as exquisite as Iniesta’s for the left-back to easily slide home.

Again, this wasn’t boring. It was simply brilliant.

A clear factor in this, it must be said, was that Cesare Prandelli effectively took a risk to try and go and win this game rather than just contain Spain. Having held Del Bosque’s side with a more conservative approach in the opening game, Italy were much more cavalier in the final.

And, while it created a few problems for Spain — not least when the lively Antonio Di Natale came on — it also gave them the space they thrive in. This was another difference between this match and the performances that were perceived as dull in the past.

Spain had a big enough canvas. As did Iniesta.

With a performance like that, he should probably steal the player of the tournament award from Pirlo.

And, as if to add insult to injury, then, Spain did bring on a forward in Fernando Torres and he did score to become joint top scorer.

It was yet another sign of their utter domination. So was Torres’s assist for Juan Mata to make it a perfect four.

By then, though, all of the arguments were long over.

Subs for Spain: Pedro for Silva (59), Torres for Fabregas (75), Mata for Iniesta (86).

Subs for Italy: Balzaretti for Chiellini (21), Motta for Montolivo (57), Di Natale for Cassano (45).