Unai Simon won the Golden Glove at the 2026 World Cup after keeping seven clean sheets in eight appearances - a truly historic achievement, and yet it would be difficult to argue that the goalkeeper played a particularly important role in Spain's success because he barely had anything to do.
With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued by injuries and inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he was among a crowded field of contenders again in 2026.
After five weeks, a record 104 matches played and 308 goals scored, the 2026 World Cup is officially over. From a purely footballing perspective, FIFA's biggest tournament of all time did not disappoint, with 48 teams doing battle across three host countries and the vast expanse of North America. And when 46 of those nations had been whittled away, only the top two ranked teams on the planet remained: Spain and Argentina.
Rodri capped Spain's World Cup triumph by winning the Golden Ball after their final victory over Argentina at MetLife Stadium. La Roja also claimed the Golden Glove and Best Young Player awards through Unai Simon and Pau Cubarsi, while Kylian Mbappe finished as the tournament's top scorer to secure the Golden Boot.
Twente youngster Ruud Nijstad has admitted his long-term ambition is to play alongside Pau Cubarsi at Barcelona after being impressed by the Spain international's display against Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the highly rated Dutch defender insists his immediate focus remains on continuing his development with the Eredivisie club.
Hansi Flick is regularly left astounded by the maturity of Pau Cubarsi's displays for Barcelona. "It's incredible to watch how well he defends," the German coach admitted last season. "He's young, he's only 19, but then you realise how long he’s already been playing at this level. We're very fortunate to have him. In terms of his performances, he's right up there with Lamine Yamal."
The World Cup is now just a few hours away, with teams currently making their final preparations for the tournament in North America. The stage is set for a whole host of players to make themselves national heroes, including some of the most exciting youngsters in the game today.
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