The 2026 World Cup came to a close in New Jersey on Sunday as Spain were deservedly crowned champions after a dour 1-0 win over 10-man Argentina in one of the worst finals in the tournament history. La Roja substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of a game that was essentially attack versus defence even before Enzo Fernandez got himself stupidly sent off for a second yellow card in the final minute of normal time.
The 2026 World Cup is over, and so is the race for the prestigious Golden Boot - the award given to the tournament's top scorer. With the expanded 48-nation tournament coming to a close, following a month of thrilling action in North America, which star has taken home the illustrious award? Here, GOAL lists the tournament's most prolific performers.
Aston Villa have been credited with interest in Folarin Balogun, but Stan Collymore has told GOAL why Unai Emery is likely to favour another 2026 World Cup star over a United States international that made plenty of headlines at FIFA’s flagship event. The Villans are looking to bolster their ranks from back to front during the summer, with comings and goings being mooted.
Four nations made debuts at the 2026 World Cup, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan gracing the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It was the tournament with the most newcomers since 2006 and Cape Verde achieved the feat of ending a 16-year wait for a debutant to reach the knockout stages, before succumbing to Lionel Messi's Argentina in a classic.
Brazil have been rocked by the news that Lucas Paqueta could miss the remainder of their 2026 World Cup campaign after an injury diagnosis was confirmed following the victory over Japan. The Flamengo midfielder, who has been a mainstay in Carlo Ancelotti’s side throughout the tournament, is now facing a race against time to feature again for the Selecao.
Endrick has expressed his delight after helping Brazil reach the World Cup round of 16. Following early tournament frustration and viral memes about his lack of minutes, the forward thanked manager Carlo Ancelotti for his trust against Japan. After a successful loan at Lyon, Endrick is now eagerly anticipating a return to Real Madrid to start a fresh chapter.
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