Explore the full list of the 2026 FIFA World Cup award winners, including Rodri and Mbappé as Spain is crowned the winner on Sunday after defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time.
The victory at the New York New Jersey Stadium secured La Roja’s second world title. It completes a campaign defined by historic defensive discipline, with Luis de la Fuente’s side conceding just once across eight matches.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute, turning home Nico Williams’ cross to break Argentina’s resistance. Lionel Scaloni’s side played the extra period with ten men after midfielder Enzo Fernández received a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez kept his side level during regulation time, making 12 saves as Spain registered 20 attempts on goal. Lionel Messi’s Argentina finished as runners-up, whilst England took third place following a 6-4 win against France.
Defensive Structure Rewrites Tournament Benchmarks
Spain’s triumph signals a shift in major tournament strategy, prioritising collective defensive control over pure attacking fluency.
By allowing a single goal throughout the entire competition, La Roja established a defensive standard unseen in modern international football. Central to that record was goalkeeper Unai Simón, who received the Golden Glove after setting a tournament record of 650 consecutive minutes without conceding.
Individual Accolades Cap Historic Campaign
The individual honours reflected Spain’s structural dominance alongside historic individual attack. Midfielder Rodri won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player. Defender Pau Cubarsí took the Best Young Player award after anchoring a back line that conceded just once.
France captain Kylian Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot with 10 goals. He became the first player to win the top scorer award at back-to-back World Cups, extending his overall tournament scoring record to 22 goals. The Netherlands received the FIFA Fair Play Award.
Full list of 2026 FIFA World Cup award winners
- Champions: Spain
- Runners-up: Argentina
- Third place: England
- Fourth place: France
- Golden Ball (Best Player): Rodri (Spain)
- Golden Boot (Top Scorer): Kylian Mbappé (France)
- Golden Glove (Best Goalkeeper): Unai Simón (Spain)
- Best Young Player: Pau Cubarsí (Spain)
- FIFA Fair Play Award: Netherlands
