FIFA World Cup 2026: Spain Crowned Champions

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Spain has become the new champion of the FIFA World Cup 2026. They defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time.
This victory ended Lionel Messi's attempt to win back-to-back titles.

This was the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup. FIFA organizes this international men's football tournament every four years.
Spain won the title, making it their second championship in history.

Three North American nations jointly hosted the tournament. These countries were Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
A total of 16 cities across these nations hosted the matches.
Cities in Canada included Toronto and Vancouver.
Cities in Mexico were Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.
The United States hosted matches in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium), Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle.

This World Cup was the first to expand from 32 teams to 48 teams.
The tournament featured a total of 104 matches. These were played across 12 groups, with four teams in each group.
It was also the first World Cup hosted jointly by three countries.
Mexico created history by hosting matches for the third time. They previously hosted in 1970 and 1986.

Rodri from Spain received the Golden Ball award for the best player.
Kylian Mbappé from France won the Golden Boot as the top scorer.
Unai Simón from Spain was awarded the Golden Glove for being the best goalkeeper.
The Best Young Player award went to Pau Cubarsí from Spain.
Netherlands received the Fair Play Award for their sportsmanship.

Spain became the champions by defeating Argentina. The final score was 1-0 after extra time.
Ferran Torres scored the winning goal. This happened in the 106th minute of extra time.
The final match took place at MetLife Stadium. This stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Spain's defense was remarkably strong. They conceded only one goal in eight matches.
This defensive performance is considered one of the best in World Cup history.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup achieved record attendance numbers.
It also introduced the first-ever halftime show during a World Cup final.