2026 World Cup special
Spain won the 2026 World Cup by beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final, on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute. It's Spain's second star, the first since 2010.
2026 World Cup honours
| 🥇 Champions | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 🥈 Runners-up | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| 🥉 Third | 🏴 England |
| Fourth | 🇫🇷 France |
| Golden Ball (best player) | Rodri (Spain) |
| Golden Boot (top scorer) | Kylian Mbappé (France), 10 goals |
| Golden Glove (best goalkeeper) | Unai Simón (Spain) |
| Best Young Player | Pau Cubarsí (Spain) |
| Fair Play award | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
The final stretch
- Semi-finals: Spain 2-0 France (Dallas) and Argentina 2-1 England (Atlanta).
- Third place: England beat France in Miami.
- Final: Spain 1-0 Argentina after extra time (Ferran Torres, 106').
2026 World Cup facts
- The first World Cup with 48 teams and the first hosted by three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada, across 16 stadiums.
- 308 goals in 104 matches (2.96 per game) and a record attendance of over 6.8 million.
- Opening match: Mexico 2-0 South Africa at Estadio Azteca, the only stadium to host three World Cups. Mexico is the first country to host three (1970, 1986 and 2026).
- Spain are the first team to win a World Cup conceding just one goal, and the first to hold the men's and women's World Cups at the same time.
- With his 10 goals, Mbappé became the all-time World Cup top scorer and the first player to win two Golden Boots.
- Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan made their debuts.
- Upsets: Paraguay knocked out Germany on penalties and Morocco did the same to the Netherlands, both in the round of 32.
Spain's 2026 champions
Coach: Luis de la Fuente. Goalkeepers: Unai Simón, David Raya and Joan Garcia. Defenders: Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Eric García, Marc Cucurella, Pedro Porro, Marc Pubill and Álex Grimaldo. Midfielders: Rodri, Pedri, Martín Zubimendi, Fabián Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Marcos Llorente and Álex Baena. Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Yéremy Pino, Víctor Muñoz and Borja Iglesias.
Every World Cup winner
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 2022 | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| 2018 | 🇫🇷 France |
| 2014 | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| 2010 | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| 2006 | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| 2002 | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| 1998 | 🇫🇷 France |
| 1994 | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| 1990 | 🇩🇪 West Germany |
| 1986 | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| 1982 | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| 1978 | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| 1974 | 🇩🇪 West Germany |
| 1970 | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| 1966 | 🏴 England |
| 1962 | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| 1958 | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| 1954 | 🇩🇪 West Germany |
| 1950 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay |
| 1938 | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| 1934 | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| 1930 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay |
Brazil still have the most titles (5), ahead of Germany and Italy (4) and Argentina (3). Spain, France and Uruguay have two. The next World Cup, in 2030, will be played in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2026 World Cup?
Spain, who beat Argentina 1-0 in the final with an extra-time goal from Ferran Torres.
Who was the best player at the 2026 World Cup?
Rodri won the tournament's Golden Ball. Kylian Mbappé was top scorer with 10 goals.
How many World Cups have Spain won?
Two: South Africa 2010 and USA, Mexico and Canada 2026.
Where is the next World Cup?
The 2030 World Cup will be played in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.