"I remember saying to my two colleagues after about 20 minutes, 'this is not quite going to plan'," says Webb. "The tackles were flying in, yellow cards were starting to come but weren't really having the effect I hoped they would. But this was the World Cup final so you had to keep that steadying hand on the ship and not overreact to stuff."
Webb issued 14 yellow cards and dismissed Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga. He copped plenty of criticism afterwards but that was nothing new.
"It was one of the hardest games in my life and it was far from perfect, but it was hard to be perfect," says Webb. "Anyway, you cope with the criticism. You have to have a thick skin."
The Premier League is probably the toughest refereeing arena in the world, with a microscopic focus on decisions and the ferocious British media.
"It can be hard but you have to keep it in perspective. It won't kill you, as long as you learn from it. Sometimes I'd come home and I'd made a mistake or had a poor game, so I'd avoid watching the highlights."
Webb was encouraged into refereeing by his father, who had a 35-year career with the whistle. He started in amateur leagues as an 18-year-old and 13 years later was on the Premier League's elite panel.
"It was a privilege," he says. "I had the best seat in the house. Sometimes, even five or six years into my professional career, I would be standing in the tunnel and catch myself — 'my God, I'm refereeing Arsenal versus Liverpool, how did this happen?'"
He describes Stoke and Everton as the most challenging places to officiate ("the crowds are so partisan") and admits there were tough moments when he was reluctant to get up on a Sunday morning.
That was usually due to the fallout from a controversial decision as football remains, more than most team sports, almost completely down to human interpretation. Webb is open about exploring increased use of video technology, with a caveat.
"Referees would welcome any technology that makes our jobs easier, and allows us to be more accurate but doesn't change or undermine the fabric of the way the game is played," he says.
"It's a really interesting debate. It might help some situations, like inside or outside the area or an act of violent conduct off the ball, but as soon as we have cameras, what do we use them for? It can open up a can of worms. Football has a tempo and flow, so maybe we are better leaving it alone."
Webb nominates Cristiano Ronaldo's three-goal masterpiece in the 2013 World Cup playoff between Portugal and Sweden in Stockholm as the best individual performance he has witnessed, but also has fond memories of the Under-20 World Cup.
"It can be an amazing tournament," says Webb. "I remember being in Canada for the 2007 event. We saw Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal ... no one knew who they were but look at them now. The same thing will happen from New Zealand."
