Spain Is Back on Top of World Soccer
In the final, held on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford (U.S.), the Spanish national team defeated Argentina 1–0 to win the World Cup for the second time in its history.
Even before the tournament began, Spain was considered one of the top favorites to win—the Opta supercomputer, one day before the tournament kicked off, gave the “Red Fury” a 16% chance of victory, with France in second place at 12.9%. Argentina was only in fourth place with 10.1%, trailing even England, which had 10.8%.
It’s important to note that this is one of the few instances in World Cup history where the top four teams in the pre-tournament predictions ended up being the same four at the tournament’s conclusion—albeit with minor adjustments.
The bronze medals went to England, which defeated France in a high-scoring third-place match.
For Spain, this title was their first since their triumph at the 2010 World Cup and confirmed the successful generational transition that began after the team’s victory at Euro 2024.
Individual awards were shared among players from Spain and France
The tournament’s top individual honor—the “Golden Ball” for the best player of the championship—went to midfielder Rodri, who was a key figure on the Spanish team.
After being named the world’s best player in 2024—a distinction largely due to Spain’s victory at the European Championship—Rodri suffered a serious injury and barely played in 2025. But the 2026 World Cup showed that he had fully recovered and returned to the highest level of play. The Spanish captain both orchestrates attacks and anchors the midfield, allowing Spain to control possession and dictate the flow of the game.
Unai Simón was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper; he conceded only a few goals in the knockout rounds and played a decisive role in his team’s victory. Many considered this choice unfair, noting that the champions’ goalkeeper didn’t have much work to do during the tournament thanks to the Spanish team’s superbly organized play in midfield and defense. But the organizers of the 2026 World Cup made their choice.
The award for best young player went to 19-year-old defender Pau Kubarsi, who has firmly established himself among the most promising players of the new generation. In this case, everyone agrees with the choice, noting his maturity and reliability beyond his years.
The “Golden Boot” for the tournament’s top scorer went to France captain Kylian Mbappé, who scored 10 goals—the highest tally of the tournament. Lionel Messi came in second, scoring 8 goals.
Another French player, Michael Olise, was named the tournament’s top assist provider, with 7 assists in 8 matches. Second place was shared by five players with four assists each: Bruno Guimarães of Brazil, Morocco’s Brahim Díaz, Norway’s Martin Ødegaard, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé.
The tournament set new records
The 2026 World Cup became the largest in the history of the competition.
For the first time, 48 national teams participated in the final stage instead of the previous 32, and the number of matches increased from 64 to 104.
The expansion of the tournament allowed a number of new soccer-playing nations to participate in the World Cup for the first time and significantly broadened the competition’s global audience.
It also allowed players to score more goals and set scoring records. The legendary Argentine Lionel Messi and the rising French star Kylian Mbappé took full advantage of this. Throughout the tournament, they battled for the title of top scorer, breaking records for total goals scored in World Cup finals along the way.
In the end, thanks to two goals in the third-place match against England, Kylian Mbappé not only became the tournament’s top scorer but also set a new record for goals scored in World Cup finals. He now has 22 goals to his name, while Messi has 21.
The Frenchman set another record—he became the first player to lead the scoring in two consecutive World Cup finals. Four years ago in Qatar, he scored 8 goals and also topped the scoring charts.
According to preliminary data from FIFA, the tournament set new records for total stadium attendance. A significant portion of the matches took place in front of sold-out crowds in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
However, FIFA will release final figures on attendance, global television viewership, commercial revenue, digital content consumption, and the economic impact on the host countries at a later date.
