FIFA WORLD CUP 2026
Kylian Mbappe (France)
10 goals · 1 pen
Rodri (Spain)
Unai Simon (Spain) — 7 clean sheets, 1 goal conceded in 8 matches
Rodri was the calm, controlling presence behind Spain's title, officially voted the tournament's best player. Individually, though, Kylian Mbappe was the most devastating attacking force of the tournament, finishing top scorer with 10 goals and 4 assists across France's run to third place — his second straight World Cup Golden Boot.
Pau Cubarsi (Spain, age 19)
Player Stats
Team Records
Match Records
Tournament Totals
Knockout Drama
Tournament Recap
Spain are World Cup champions for the second time, beating defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium. Substitute Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute to settle a tense, goalless contest, with Argentina finishing the game down to ten men after Enzo Fernandez was sent off late on.
It capped a near-perfect run for Spain, who went unbeaten through all eight of their matches at this World Cup, conceding just one goal in the entire tournament. That defensive record folds into a wider unbeaten streak now standing at 38 games across all competitions, a new all-time record for a men's national team.
The expanded 48-team format delivered on its promise elsewhere too. Kylian Mbappe topped the scoring charts with 10 goals and 4 assists to claim his second straight Golden Boot, finishing his World Cup career with 22 goals overall, the new all-time record. Four different players scored hat-tricks across the tournament: Lionel Messi, Jonathan David, Ousmane Dembele, and Bukayo Saka, whose treble came in a wild 6-4 third-place win for England over France, the highest-scoring match of the tournament.
FIFA's official awards went almost entirely to Spain. Rodri was named the tournament's best player (Golden Ball), Unai Simon its best goalkeeper (Golden Glove) after conceding only once all tournament, and 19-year-old Pau Cubarsi was named Young Player of the Tournament. Kylian Mbappe's Golden Boot was the one major individual honour that got away from La Roja. The Netherlands picked up the Fair Play Award.
Did You Know
Spain's 38-match unbeaten run (as of the final) is a new all-time record for a men's national team, past Italy's old mark. They also won the World Cup while conceding just one goal in the entire tournament (vs Belgium in the quarter-final) — the tightest defensive run by any World Cup-winning side. FIFA awarded championship rings to the winning squad for the first time in the competition's 96-year history.