The first 48-team World Cup delivered exactly the kind of tournament FIFA hoped for when it expanded the format: more goals than any World Cup in history, a genuine shock or two, and a final that came down to a single moment of substitute magic. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium on 19 July 2026, with Ferran Torres coming off the bench to settle it in the 106th minute, and capped off a tournament in which La Roja didn't lose a single match across a record-extending unbeaten run.

Here's how the final played out, every major award from the tournament, and where you can still catch highlights from the whole competition.

The final: Spain 1-0 Argentina (after extra time)

It wasn't a classic in open play, but it produced a genuinely historic winning goal. Ferran Torres, introduced from the bench, latched onto a precise headed knockdown from Nico Williams and lashed a powerful effort past the Argentina goalkeeper in the 106th minute. The strike made Torres only the second substitute in World Cup history to score a final-winning goal, matching Mario Götze's famous effort for Germany against Argentina in 2014, and it sealed Spain's fourth World Cup and their first since 2010.

The win extended Spain's unbeaten run to 38 matches, and completed an extraordinary double: Spain became the first nation ever to hold both the men's and women's World Cup at the same time, with their women's team having won the title back in 2023.

Every award from the 2026 World Cup

• Golden Ball (best player): Rodri, whose midfield control underpinned Spain's run through the entire tournament.
• Silver Ball: Lionel Messi, in what was widely treated as his final World Cup appearance.
• Bronze Ball: Kylian Mbappe.
• Golden Boot (top scorer): Kylian Mbappe, with 10 goals, his second straight Golden Boot after also topping the scoring charts in 2022. It took his career World Cup total to 22 goals, overtaking Miroslav Klose's long-standing record of 16.
• Golden Glove (best goalkeeper): Unai Simon, whose form between the posts was central to Spain conceding just once across the entire tournament, a record for a team playing a full eight-match campaign.
• Best Young Player: Pau Cubarsi, the first defender ever to win the award.

The records this tournament broke

Expanding to 48 teams was always going to change the numbers, but the scale of it still stood out. The tournament produced 308 goals, the most of any World Cup ever played. The final alone drew more than 66 million viewers across platforms in the United States, and total attendance across the tournament passed 6 million, both marks that reflect just how much bigger this edition was than any before it. Spain's defensive campaign, conceding a single goal across eight matches, is arguably the most remarkable individual team record of the lot given how much more football a 48-team format demands of its eventual champion.

The road to the final

Spain's run to the title was built on a level of defensive control that stood out even among past champions: conceding just once across eight matches is an extraordinary number for a tournament that now demands a full extra round of knockout football compared with the pre-2026 format. Their unbeaten run, extended to 38 matches by the final, stretched back well before the tournament even began, and by the time they reached the final they had already dispatched a series of dangerous opponents without ever looking seriously troubled.

The wider tournament produced its own list of storylines that had nothing to do with who eventually lifted the trophy. Lionel Messi's final appearance on football's biggest stage closed out one of the sport's defining international careers, even in defeat. Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar both played their last World Cup football at this tournament too, a symbolic changing of the guard alongside Messi's farewell. Mbappe's Golden Boot, meanwhile, cemented him as arguably the greatest big-tournament finisher of his generation, with back-to-back Golden Boots in 2022 and 2026 and a career World Cup tally that now sits well clear of the previous all-time record.

A 48-team World Cup: what changed

This was the first World Cup played under FIFA's expanded 48-team format, spread across three host nations, the United States, Mexico and Canada, and it changed the tournament's shape in ways that went beyond simply adding more matches. More nations than ever before got a genuine shot at the world stage, and the extra knockout round meant eventual champions had to survive one more must-win match than any previous World Cup winner. For the full breakdown of how the new format actually works, from groups through to the final, read our World Cup 2026 format explained guide, and for a round-by-round look at the knockout stage specifically, see our knockout stage guide.

Where to watch World Cup 2026 highlights

Even though the tournament has finished, official highlights and full replays from every match remain available through FIFA's channels and our own World Cup 2026 highlights hub, which collects clips from the whole tournament in one place. If you want a full recap of the tournament's story from group stage to final, our World Cup 2026 recap hub covers the road to the final, the numbers, and everything in between.

A tournament spread across three countries

Hosting duties for 2026 were shared across the United States, Mexico and Canada, the first time the World Cup has ever been split between three nations. It meant a genuinely wide range of venues and atmospheres across the tournament, from Mexico's Estadio Azteca, now a three-time World Cup host stadium, to purpose-built NFL venues across the United States that had never staged a match of this scale before. That spread of host cities is also part of why the tournament's attendance and viewership numbers reached the heights they did: a 48-team format spread across a continent-sized footprint gave more fans in more places a realistic chance to attend a match in person than any previous edition.

For fans revisiting specific matches or venues, our World Cup 2026 coverage includes dedicated write-ups on several of the tournament's biggest stadiums and the matches they hosted, alongside head-to-head histories for many of the marquee group-stage pairings that defined the tournament's opening weeks.

World Cup 2026 highlights FAQ

Who won the 2026 World Cup?

Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July 2026.

Who scored the winning goal in the 2026 World Cup final?

Ferran Torres, coming off the bench, scored in the 106th minute of extra time, converting a headed knockdown from Nico Williams.

Who won the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup?

Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot with 10 goals, his second consecutive World Cup Golden Boot, taking his career World Cup goal tally to 22.

Who won the Golden Ball at the 2026 World Cup?

Rodri won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, with Lionel Messi taking the Silver Ball and Kylian Mbappe the Bronze Ball.

How many teams played in the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup was the first to use an expanded 48-team format, hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Where can I watch highlights from the 2026 World Cup?

Official highlights remain available through FIFA's channels, and our World Cup 2026 highlights hub collects clips from across the tournament in one place.

Was the 2026 World Cup the first with 48 teams?

Yes. The 2026 tournament was the first World Cup played under FIFA's expanded 48-team format, up from 32 teams at every previous edition since 1998.

How many goals did the 2026 World Cup goalkeepers concede on average?

Spain's tournament-winning defence conceded just one goal across all eight of their matches, an extraordinary number given the expanded format required champions to win one more knockout match than under the old 32-team structure.

Was this Lionel Messi's last World Cup?

The 2026 tournament was widely treated as Messi's final World Cup appearance, closing out one of the defining international careers in the sport's history.

What ball was used at the 2026 World Cup?

FIFA introduced an official match ball designed specifically for the 2026 tournament, following the same tradition of a bespoke ball for every World Cup dating back decades. See our 2026 World Cup official ball guide for the full details.

How many host cities were used at the 2026 World Cup?

Matches were spread across a wide range of venues in the United States, Mexico and Canada, from MetLife Stadium, which hosted the final, to long-standing venues like Mexico's Estadio Azteca.

More World Cup 2026 reading

For the full breakdown of the knockout rounds, read our World Cup 2026 knockout stage guide. For every result and award in one place, see who won the 2026 World Cup, and for the tournament's greatest goalscorers of all time, check our World Cup all-time top scorers list.